A Step Into The Future

A journey of life is ever challenging....... We start as a baby, crying our way into the world. Then we would start to crawl, stand, eventually walking and finally running.... In the process of learning how to walk, a baby would definitely fall down, cry a little, then would contemplate whether to try to walk again or not. Eventually, that little toddler would stand up again and start to walk again. I am pretty sure, in the baby's language, he or she would be thinking of what should be done to make sure that the next step of the walk to be a successful one. After some baby maths and risk assessment, the next step would be done and voila...... The baby DID IT!!!!! The baby has successfully started to walk..... And the next thing you would notice is the tear filled eyes of the baby's parents knowing that their baby is taking the next step into his or her growth.

Well to a baby, the hurt of falling is very risky since it would be painful since the floor is not sofa. However, due to the baby's desire to walk knowing that through walking, he or she would be able to reach places and most importantly, his or her toy, the risk is definitely worth it. Therefore, no risk no gain........

The majority of nuclear reactors in the world now are 2nd generation nuclear reactors in which has around 30 to 40 years of lifespan.... the reactors' lifespan would be able to be extended to up to 80 years with the right steps taken. The 2nd generation nuclear reactors operate under standard safety and operational standards ensuring that the reactor would operate safely and would not cost mushroom clouds for the viewing pleasure of people nearby. Up until now, out of so many operating nuclear reactors, only 3 notable catastrophe happened which are the chernobyl nuclear reactor, the fukushima nuclear reactor and also the 3 mile island nuclear reactor. Considering the amount of accident compared to the amount of nuclear reactors in the world, statistically speaking, power generation through nuclear means is very safe.

Like a baby, the understanding and the improvements being done on nuclear reactor designs are ever growing. We have now entered the age of the 3rd generation nuclear reactors.

The 3rd generation nuclear reactor has a more standard design leading to better efficiency in acquiring license since the current nuclear reactors would need years to get the license for building and operation. Not only that, since the design is standard, the construction cost and time would be decreased as well.

Due to the simpler and rugged design of the nuclear reactor, there would be less chance for the reactor to experience operational error since the operational difficulty would be way less than the current nuclear reactors.  The technological advancement of this generation of nuclear reactors also would mean that the operational lifetime of the reactor to be longer which can last up to 60 years and up to 120 years with extension. The melting of the core would mean that the reactor would start to release radioactive waste into the environment. The 3rd generation nuclear power plant would be designed so as to make sure that it would further reduce the possibility of core melt accidents.

Due to the happening of the 911 incident in which that planes were being crashed onto the world trade centre in the United States of America, the 3rd generation nuclear reactor would be designed so as to ensure that the reactor would be resistant to serious damage that would cause the radioactive substance to be released into the atmosphere should some crazy 'thrill seekers' who want to get into the history books by crashing planes into any nuclear reactors in the world. Since the radioactive waste is one of the major problem of nuclear reactors these days, the 3rd generation nuclear reactor addresses this problem by having a decrease in nuclear waste per mass of fuel by operating more efficiently resulting in the generation of more energy per mass of fuel being used.

Therefore, in my opinion, nuclear generation through the use of 3rd generation nuclear reactor is the future of  power generation of the world. I am sure, with more interest and financial support being poured into supporting the new generation of nuclear power plants, it would emerge as a safe and yet effective power generating tool (^_^)