Nuclear engineering plays an integral role in modern society by increasing the efficiency of electricity production, providing clean energy that does not emit greenhouse gases, and conducting research in a variety of specialized areas.
Energy is an essential element when considering the development of modern society. Not only is it the basis for the development of other industries, but it is also utilized in so many aspects of society that it would be difficult to live without it. Electricity, in particular, has become an integral part of modern society, and the efficiency of nuclear power in generating it is an undeniable advantage.
Compared to the past 10 to 20 years, the increase in electricity prices compared to the rate of inflation is almost negligible. This is due to the increasing share of electricity production from nuclear power, which has lowered the unit cost of electricity production. In addition, nuclear power is a clean energy source that does not emit greenhouse gases compared to other fossil energies, making it an irresistible alternative when it comes to choosing a new energy source.
Nuclear power can be divided into two main types. The first is nuclear fission, and the second is nuclear fusion. Fission power is typically generated by harnessing the mass deficit energy created by injecting neutrons into uranium, as we know it, to induce nuclear fission. It is already commercially available and used around the world. Nuclear fusion power harnesses the mass deficit energy from reacting hydrogen to produce heavier particles, like the reactions that occur in the sun. Although it has not yet been commercialized due to the lack of technology and materials that can sustain high temperatures and pressures, it is still being researched as a necessary precursor technology for future energy production.
In nuclear engineering, you can specialize not only in the fields related to this development, but also in related fields such as radiation and plasma. Nuclear engineering can be divided into three major fields: Nuclear systems, plasma fusion, and radiation.
The field of nuclear systems studies the design and technology required for current nuclear power plants, which primarily utilize nuclear fission. Labs in this area include safety analysis, which is concerned with the safety and legislation of power generation; design engineering, which is responsible for the design and simulation of power generation; Monte Carlo and nuclear physics labs, where experiments are performed or codes are written for the design; and thermohydraulics and nuclear materials labs. This area is dominated by research that aims to complement or improve upon what is currently being done.
The Plasma Nuclear Fusion area studies general engineering and nuclear fusion power generation using plasmas. The field can be divided into the Plasma Applications Laboratory and Plasma Quantum Beam Engineering. Plasma application labs study technologies used in displays (TVs, monitors, liquid crystals) and semiconductors. Nuclear fusion power generation involves writing code to run simulations, and is of interest to those who want to explore the future of energy.
The field of radiation engineering studies the relationship between nuclear power and radiation. There are radiobiology and applied nuclear physics labs, and radiobiology involves research related to healthcare or life. It studies technologies such as MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays used in hospitals, and it also applies radiation dating. It’s easy to think of nuclear engineering as being unrelated to healthcare and life, but if you’re thinking about a career in radiology, it’s definitely worth applying.
