Engineering Fundamentals: An Introduction to Engineering, 4th ed.c

Department of Energy, the owners and operators of U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors

purchased the equivalent of 53 million pounds of uranium during 2008, of which 14% came

from the United States, and the remaining 86% was of foreign-origin (42% from Australia and

Canada, 33% from Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan, and 11% from Brazil, Czech Republic,

Namibia, Niger, South Africa, and the United Kingdom).

The energy in the nucleus or core of atoms can also be released by nuclear fusion. In nuclear

fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together to form a larger atom.

This process is called nuclear fusion and is the process by which the sun’s energy is produced. The

percentage of electricity generated by nuclear fuel during 1973-2008 is shown in Figure 13.20.

Next, we will briefly discuss renewable energy sources such as hydropower, solar, wind, ethanol,

and biodiesel.

HydroPower

Hydropower accounts for 6% of total U.S. electricity generation. In 2008, it accounted for

67% of energy generation of all the renewable energy sources. In a hydroelectric power plant,

398 Chapter 13 Energy and Power

■Figure 13.19

The nuclear fission process.

Neutron

Uranium

235

Neutron

Neutron

• Energy

Lighter

element

Lighter

element

FISSION

The Atom Splits

■Figure 13.20

Percentage of electricity

generated by nuclear fuel during

1973–2008.

Source:Energy Information

Administration, Monthly

Energy Review

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

1973 1983 1993 2003 2008

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