3 - Applications of nuclear science and radioisotopes technology in power generation, hydrogen economy, and transport

Abstract

Energy in its various forms is one of the main elements necessary to ensure the sustainability of the economic growth of any country in light of global population inflation and high global energy demand. Providing electric and thermal energy effectively and efficiently is vital for industrial production operations and providing services to all sectors of the economy and other development. Accordingly, the production of the necessary and sufficient energy at the lowest cost and with the least environmental damage becomes prerequisites for ensuring continued growth and development and ensuring the continued competitiveness of the economy including hydrogen economy and preserving the environment. In this context, the production of electricity and hydrogen through the use of nuclear energy is one of the most effective, less costly, and environmentally friendly energy production methods compared to the methods of producing electric energy through the use of fossil fuels or renewable energies. At the beginning of the 20th century, the features of the fundamental atomic structure and its scientific discoveries began to become clear. While the process of converting nuclear sciences into power generation technologies took place in the second half of the 20th century. Since the Second World War and until today, nuclear peaceful applications face significant challenges. The most significant setbacks in nuclear history were the adoption of nuclear energy in the nuclear bombs by the US military during the Manhattan Project and the Chernobyl reactor explosion due to the weakness of nuclear safety and security systems at that time. However, the hard work of nuclear scientists gained public support when safe and secured nuclear power plants were constructed. Nuclear energy made a place in the energy market due to its environmental-friendly approach. The basic principle underlying the work of nuclear power plants includes the nuclear fission reaction, which is the reaction that is taking place in most nuclear power plants in the world. Fission reaction is the reaction that occurs when the splitting of an atom of uranium produces continuously abundant heat energy. This heat is used by a nuclear power plant to produce electricity and to produce hydrogen or what is known by the clean future fuel on which the hydrogen economy is based. The hydrogen economy is used in a number of applications, the most important of which are transport and industry that will save energy and the environment. Hydrogen is used as a carrier of energy according to the new concept of the hydrogen economy and it enters into a number of applications, the most important of which are transportation and industry. Hydrogen provides efficient energy at a cheap price with no pollution to the environment, unlike combustion engines. Prototypes of vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cells have shown that they may compete with electric cars in the future. The production of hydrogen and electricity are mutually supportive. The use of hydrogen as an effective energy carrier one of the world's leading research areas and scientists expect that nuclear hydrogen will have great competition with solar and wind energy sources in the global energy market.