Suppose India had a target of producing by 2020AD,200000MW of electric power, 10% of which was to be obtained from nuclear power plants. Suppose we are given that, on an average, the efficiency of utilisation (i.e.conversion to electric energy) of thermal energy produced in a reactor was 25% How much amount of fissionable uranium would our country need per year by 2020? Take 235U to be about 200MeV .
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Updated on : 2022-09-05
Solution
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Total electric power which is aimed to be produced by 2020 = 2×105MW
Power obtained from the nuclear power plant = 10% of 2×105MW=2×104MW=2×1010W
Energy required from the nuclear plant in one year= Power×time=2×1010×365×24×60×60=6.3×1017J
Available electric energy per fission= 25% of 200MeV=(0.25×200×1.602×10−13)J=8×10−12J
Required no. of fission per year = 8×10−126.3×1017=0.7875×1029
Now, 6.023×1023 nuclei of 92235U have mass = 235g
∴ Mass required to produce 7.9×1028 nuclei = 6.023×1023235×3.95×1028g≈3.084×104kg