Day 2
Today we spent the day with CGD (Commercial Grade Dedication), specifically two nuclear engineers. CGD refers to a process where commercial-grade components are used instead of those specifically designed for nuclear safety. Since nuclear plants were created such a long time ago, most of the necessary parts are obsolete and no longer created by the original commercial companies. Instead, NextEra Energy creates these parts and tests them to ensure they are safe for operation and offer the proper functionality. While QC (Quality Control) performs these actual tests, it is these engineers that evaluate the data and write up reports. It is important to keep records for future use and collaboration. One of the nuclear engineers was more focused in electrical engineering and the other in mechanical engineering, but both of their efforts are needed for the NextEra nuclear plants. NextEra Energy has five plants located in Florida, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire. Before I talk about nuclear plants and how they operate, I first want to mention some aspects of electrical engineering.
Electrical Engineering
While there are thousands of electronics they have to work with, six primary ones we learned about today were transistors, fuses, buttons, resistors, capacitors, and relays. Transistors act like switches or amplifiers, controlling the flow of electricity in a circuit. Fuses serve as safety devices that break the circuit if too much current flows through, preventing damage to other components. Buttons are simple switches that open or close a circuit when pressed. Resistors are used to limit the amount of electric current, helping protect sensitive parts of a circuit. Capacitors store and release electrical energy and are often used to smooth out voltage changes. Lastly, relays are electrically operated switches that use a small current to control a much larger one, allowing for more complex control in electronic systems. We also learned about motors and how different materials can affect electrical motors. These are machines that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy using magnets and coils of wire. When electric current flows through the wire, it creates a magnetic field that interacts with the magnets, causing the motor’s shaft to spin. The materials used in the motor can affect how well it works: stronger magnets can increase power, while better conductive materials like copper improve efficiency. On the other hand, using poor-quality materials can lead to energy loss, overheating, or slower motor performance.
Nuclear Plants
Nuclear plants, what I found to be the most fascinating part of today, offer both risks and extreme benefits. Nuclear power plants generate electricity by using nuclear fission: splitting atoms (usually uranium) to release heat, which turns water into steam that drives turbines. Materials science plays a key role by developing strong, heat-resistant materials for fuel rods, reactor walls, and cooling systems to ensure safety and efficiency under extreme conditions. Fusion, another nuclear process, involves combining atoms (like hydrogen) to release massive amounts of energy with little waste or radiation. It holds great promise as a clean, nearly limitless energy source. However, nuclear power also has downsides: fission produces long-lasting radioactive waste and carries the risk of accidents. Fusion is still experimental and faces major scientific and engineering challenges before it can become practical (and create net positive energy), but offers a promising future for more renewable, cost effective energy.
