Nuclear engineering involves working with radiation and radioactive materials to design processes for power generation, industry, and medicine. It requires extensive training in advanced mathematics, chemistry, and physics. Nuclear energy is used in power generation, medical applications, and environmental preservation. Nuclear engineers work to develop safer equipment, protocols, and methods for handling nuclear waste.
Nuclear engineering is a field in which nuclear engineers work with radiation and radioactive materials to design processes and develop their use in power generation, industry, and nuclear medicine. Those working in nuclear engineering solve real-world problems such as nuclear waste management, nuclear power plant accident response protocols, and how radiation can effectively treat cancer. People working in the nuclear engineering industry have undergone extensive training and have a high aptitude for advanced mathematics, chemistry and physics. There are many different specialized areas within nuclear engineering, including nuclear power generation, the medical use of nuclear energy, and the environmental impact of nuclear byproducts.
Since the late 19th century, engineers have envisioned all sorts of uses for the energy stored in atoms, including the use of steam, produced by nuclear energy, to turn turbines and produce electricity. In 1919, the first full-scale nuclear power plant went into operation. In 1957, the amount of electricity generated by nuclear power surpassed that generated by hydroelectric power, and as of 1984, there are 2011 nuclear power plants in the United States alone generating 109 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.
In the world of medicine, nuclear energy is used in applications ranging from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to cancer treatment and nuclear gamma knife surgery. While early types of radiation therapy caused unnecessary damage to surrounding tissue, doctors can now precisely target the precise amount of radiation needed to kill tumors without harming other tissue and vital organs. The focused beams of radiation used in the Gamma Knife allow surgeons to perform a non-invasive medical procedure, treating tumors deep within the body. Other nuclear medical devices include stereotactic devices, laser beams and linear accelerators that target and treat patients without surgery. One-third of all medical procedures performed in the United States use some type of technique developed from nuclear engineering.
Preserving the environment is also an important part of nuclear engineering. There are many national and international agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which are tasked with keeping an eye on the use and disposal of nuclear materials. Organizations such as the Nuclear Energy Institute protect the environment by working with other organizations to develop methods and procedures for the safe handling of hazardous nuclear waste produced by nuclear power generation. Other nuclear engineers are working to design safer nuclear power plant equipment, developing new safety protocols to prevent and manage accidental contamination, and finding new ways to dispose of nuclear waste.
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