Energia Nucleare, Fissione, Fusione, Sicurezza e Ambiente

The aim of this book, sent to press just before the Fukushima event, is to give an engineering panoramic view of the nuclear energy applications, concerning both fission and fusion reactors. This book represents a second edition, widely revised and extended, of a previous one, published in 2008 and rapidly become out of print. The book is composed by four chapters and at the end of each chapter, a selection of certain subjects, physical, historical, etc. are deepened. Several numerical applications are presented too. In Chapter 1 some elements of nuclear physics are recalled, in order to introduce the reader into the world of nuclear technologies. Some curious information on the uranium mines present in Italy are reported too. In Chapter 2, the fundamentals of the energy production by fission and of the control of a nuclear chain reaction are analyzed. Then, a description of several types of fission reactor plant actually working for electric energy production is developed and the possible future evolution of the reactor technology is considered too. Chapter 3 is devoted to the charming world of the nuclear fusion. As well known, almost all the energy feeding life in the visible universe has some nuclear fusion origin and this cannot be a mere chance. The main characteristics of the fusion reaction are described, including the case of solar and the optimum terrestrial reagents. Then, the main fusion reactors actually operative (JET) and being built (ITER) are considered and compared. In Chapter 4 some elements of natural and artificial radioactivity are considered. The main effect of the ionizing radiation on the human body are classified and analyzed. Furthermore, the effective average equivalent dose absorbed by the Italian population due to natural and artificial sources is evaluated. Surprisingly, this equivalent dose is one of the biggest individual dose in the world, in spite of the almost total absence of nuclear industrial activity in the Italian territory. The important problems inherent to the safety of nuclear reactors and to the risk of environmental contamination are treated as more objective as possible. In conclusion, some delicate problem of cohabitation exists, but, in the author opinion, nuclear energy will provide an important contribute to the future human development.