A breeder reactor is a type of nuclear reactor that creates more fuel than it uses. These reactors can use common types of uranium and thorium, such as uranium-238 and thorium-232, instead of the less common uranium-235, which is used in traditional reactors. These materials are called fertile materials because breeder reactors can change them into usable fuel.
The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024, or the ADVANCE Act of 2024, is a law passed by the 118th United States Congress. It aims to speed up the development of advanced nuclear reactor technology and ensure that current nuclear power plants in the United States continue to operate. Senator Shelley Moore Capito introduced the bill in the Senate in March 2023 as the ADVANCE Act of 2023.
Thorium-based nuclear power uses the nuclear fission of uranium-233, which is created from thorium, a naturally occurring element. A thorium fuel cycle has several benefits compared to a uranium fuel cycle. These include the greater availability of thorium on Earth, better physical and nuclear fuel characteristics, and less nuclear waste.
People who support nuclear energy say that it is a safe and sustainable source of power. It helps reduce carbon emissions and improves energy security by reducing reliance on energy that comes from other countries.
The anti-nuclear movement is a group of people who work to stop the use of nuclear technology. This movement includes groups that take direct action, environmental organizations, and professional groups. These groups support the movement at local, national, or international levels.
Nuclear safety, as explained by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), means “achieving proper working conditions, preventing accidents, or reducing the effects of accidents to protect workers, the public, and the environment from harmful radiation.” The IAEA also says nuclear security involves “preventing, detecting, and responding to theft, sabotage, unauthorized access, illegal movement, or other harmful actions involving nuclear materials, radioactive substances, or related facilities.” This includes nuclear power plants, other nuclear facilities, the transportation of nuclear materials, and the use and storage of nuclear materials for medical, energy, industrial, and military purposes. The nuclear power industry has made reactors safer and more efficient, and has created new reactor designs that are even safer. However, perfect safety cannot be guaranteed.
Nuclear proliferation refers to the spread of nuclear weapons to countries that are not officially recognized as nuclear-weapon states by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This spread happens through the sharing of materials used to make nuclear weapons, as well as the technology and skills needed to create them. In modern times, it also includes the transfer of nuclear weapons to groups that are not governments.
Radioactive waste is a type of dangerous waste that contains materials that give off radiation. It comes from many activities, such as medical treatments using radiation, research with nuclear materials, power generated by nuclear reactors, shutting down nuclear facilities, mining for rare-earth elements, and processing nuclear weapons. The way this waste is stored and disposed of is controlled by government groups to protect people and the environment.
A small modular reactor (SMR) is a new type of nuclear fission reactor that produces less than 300 megawatts (MW e) of electricity. These reactors use modular design principles, which make them easier and faster to build and allow them to grow in size more easily than large light-water reactors. Many SMR designs are built in factories as pre-made parts and then moved to their final locations.
Nuclear fusion is a process where two or more atomic nuclei join to form a larger nucleus. The difference in mass between the starting materials and the final product results in the release or absorption of energy. This mass difference happens because the energy that holds the nucleus together, called nuclear binding energy, changes before and after the fusion process.