NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN MALAYSIANURUL AQILAH BT MUSTAFA KAMALED120142014/2015(SECTION 03)

Abstract-Nuclear Power is a one of the best option can be consider as one of solution for our future energy development. However, many aspect need to be considered to make it as one of future energy supply such as sites, cost and etc. The purpose of this paper to discuss on Nuclear Power Plant in Malaysia.

1. Introduction

In this new era, all the country has been use and identify the new future energy for future development. One of the country that have seen the useful of the nuclear energy is Malaysia.

Nuclear energy is use to generate the energy and heat using the exothermic nuclear processes. This energy actually through the process of splitting the nucleus of atom into two part which is Neutrons and Proton.

Figure 1: Nucleus atom split into atom and nucleus.

Nuclear Power Plant is a station where the heat source is generate and source come from the nuclear reactor. The proses of producing electricity is same as the typically process from the convential thermal power station where the steam is generate using the heat to animate the steam turbine which connected to generator.

Based on newspaper article, government has made a decision to build the nuclear power plant as a backup energy for future energy with considering some aspect.The main aspect need to be consider is site, safety and external event such as flooding, earthquakes, tornadoes and etc.

2. Aspect

The most important thing on selection site is stages during the life time of nuclear power plant. The stages is sitting, design construction and de-commissioning.Figure 2: Different phase of activities related to siting nuclear power plant.

Figure 2 show the stages that related on the selection of site for the nuclear power plant. This phase need to take very serious matter. This is because this phase will help to decide whether the location can be use and accepted by NPPs.

Besides that, the other important aspect must be consider is safety. In safety there 2 event has been categorized which is External and Induced Event.

Basically External event, is the event happen in geological condition such as Earthquakes and surface faulting, lightning, tropical cyclones, floods and etc. While for the induced event is a event that create by human itself from the technology such as aircraft crash and leakage of Nuclear gas. If this event happen, it will cause harm to humankind and it also could loss of function of system and required a long-term removal of heat from the core. In the NPPs also has state about this matter where they have it criteria to avoid from this external and induced event happen.

Table 1: Criteria set up by NPPs.Figure 3: Example process of External event.

3. Block diagramFigure 4: show the block diagram of the nuclear.

In the figure4 above, there are 5 stages involve in the power plant system which is Nuclear Reactor, Heat Exchange, Steam Turbine and Alternator

Nuclear Reactor is an equipment where use nuclear fuel as a subject to nuclear fission.. It also control the chain reaction once it has start when the fusion is done. Besides that, once the chain reaction is uncontrolled, it will cause the explosion due to the energy release is uncontrollable. Inside the nuclear reactor there are nuclear fuel which is the uranium use as the nuclear fuel which contain 2.5% to 3% of uranium-235,reactor core where the nuclear fission takes place, moderator which used to slow down the speed of neutrons, control rods where to control the rate of fission and made up by the cadmium or boron.Besides, it use the coolant which used to cool down the heat produce inside the reactor. Protective screen is used for protection to avoid from the heat from escaped and the radiation emitted from the process of nuclear fusion.

Heat exchanger is used to utilize in raising the steam when the coolant has given up the heat to it. While for steam turbine, the steam produce by the heat exchanger will animate the steam turbine though the valve.When the steam turbine has been animate the steam will drives the alternator to convert the energy to electrical energy and the output will delivered to the bus bars through the transformers, circuit breakers and isolators.

4. OperationsFigure 5; Comparisons operation between fossil power plant and nuclear power plant.

Compare to the conventional power generation in the operation, in the nuclear power plant there are factor must been considered which is1) Control2) Safety3) Refueling4) Waste production5) Efficiency

The important factor to a design is a control, where the function of the control is to keep the nuclear reaction from dying out or explode. The uranium will fission into two smaller atom and release one to three neutrons when the atom of nuclear fuel is absorbing a neutrons. The water heated for steam turbine by using the kinetic energy of the waste (two smaller atoms).

The next lot of uranium atoms fission using the neutron then the process is continues. When there is no neutrons absorbed by another uranium the reaction of it dies out but if too many of absorbing it will cause of explosion and the reaction will rapidly increases.

Since the radioactive material are potentially harmful, there are many precaution system are make to protect workers, the public and environment. This system including the shutting down the reactor and stop the fission process, cool down reactor process and the system to prevent it from escape into the environment.

Figure 6 ; Flow of nuclear power plant operation.

5. Advantages

The advantages of using nuclear power plant is essentially no greenhouse gas emission compared to the conventional power. Example in the coal combustion there are generally about 75% of CO2 emission compare to the nuclear power energy that only using uranium as nuclear fuel.

Another advantages is nuclear energy is more concentrated in form of energy compared to the conventional power generation. It also can produce in a large quantity in a short time. Besides that, the nuclear power plant also low fuel cost compare to the others power which need higher cost in operation.

In a term of waste we can see that, the nuclear power plant is less waste compared to the other. This is because the waste has been use to drives the steam turbine.

6. Disadvantages

For the disadvantages, we can see that the waste of nuclear is more dangerous for a thousand of year. This because The radiation of the nuclear which can be harmful or fatal to infected people. Besides that, When the power plant is shutdown the power will takes a long time to ben maintenance and higher cost will needed.

Another disadvantages is waste of nuclear will combustion without any notice. The combustion usually will exploded without any warning when the fission nuclear has been done. Usually for workers in this section, there must be more precaution to take to avoid from any accident from the waste reactions.

7. Conclusion In a conclusion, using the power plant for the future energy in Malaysia is the best option. This is because by using the conventional energy, the energy will take a lot of time to produces a large quantity to support the population and industrial request compared to the nuclear energy power.

8. Reference

1. Nuclear power plant ( energy system) by Shailesh B. Patel2. Journal of Nuclear and related Technologist, Volume 9.No1 June 2012.3. MOSTI ,Regulatory requirement for site evaluation of Nuclear Power Plant4. Www.nuclear-energy.net/how-nuclear-power-plant-work5. www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power2.