NATS 1840 Lecture 14: Lecture Notes (Mar 14)
15 Mar 2017
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Top hat: normal background radiation = 3. 6 msv/year in north america, variability in background radiation level is large. Basics of fission: large nuclear breaks up into smaller fragments ( ssion products), starts with absorption of a slow neutron, creating a very unstable nucleus, emits several fast neutrons and heat, fission products are generally unstable. Renewables impact and limitations: renewable electrical generation typically involved a large surface footprint with corresponding impacts on landscapes and habitats, impacts, loss and primary productivity, flooding, fragmentation for power lines, visual pollution. Electricity from water (hydro: kinetic energy of moving water easily harnessed by a turbine (80%+ ef ciency) in order to power a generator. Impact of reservoirs: you create a dam in order for water to ow downwards through the turbine, large hydro facilities with reservoirs carry signi cant impacts, terrestrial ecosystems became freshwater ones.
