Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the production and use of nuclear energy and nuclear radiation. It involves the conception, development, design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of facilities in which nuclear energy or nuclear radiation is generated or used. Such operations include nuclear power plants, nuclear propulsion reactors used for the propulsion of ships and submarines, nuclear reactors employed to power space satellites/ vehicles, nuclear production reactors which produce fissile or fusile materials used in nuclear weapons, nuclear research reactors which generate neutrons and gamma rays for scientific research for medical and industrial applications, particle accelerators which produce nuclear radiation utilized in medical and industrial applications, and nuclear waste repositories.
Nuclear power plants provide about 17 percent of the world's electricity. Some countries depend more upon nuclear power for generating electricity than others do. France produces about 75 percent of its electricity from nuclear power, whereas, in the United States, about 15 percent of the electricity comes from nuclear power (but some states generate more power from such plants than others do). The basis of the nuclear reaction process is uranium, a common element on the planet incorporated during the Earth's formation. U-238 uranium is the most common form of the element. However, the U-235 form is the one used in all nuclear radiation and creation of nuclear energy because it can easily be induced into a state of fission, producing an incredible amount of energy (in the form of heat and gamma radiation). The fission of a single atom of uranium produces 10 million times the energy produced by the combustion of a single atom of carbon from coal.
Salaries for Nuclear Engineers are commensurate with their heavy responsibilities. According to a 2005 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, an average starting annual salary for a Nuclear Engineer with a bachelor's degree is US Dollars 51,182, and for a Nuclear Engineer with a master's degree it is US Dollars 58,814. The U.S. Department of Labor indicates that, in May 2004, annual average salaries for Nuclear Engineers ranged from a low of US Dollars 61,790 to a high of US Dollars 118,870. The national median annual wage for Nuclear Engineers is US Dollars 6,940 a month (or US Dollars 83,280 a year). Wages will vary by employer and area of the country, as well as the engineer's level of education and job responsibilities.
Nuclear Engineers working in nuclear energy plants are responsible for the overall operation of the nuclear installation. They are trained to design, estimate the cost of assembling, and oversee the construction and operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, and nuclear fuel reprocessing and reclamation systems. They design and develop nuclear equipment such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, and associated mechanisms. They monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or that could jeopardize the safety of the operation and the people involved. They carefully study any accidents that occur to obtain sufficient data that can be used to design preventive measures.
Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Webworldarticles.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.
This article was sent to us by:
Martin Andrews at
07132010
1. Publications Manager jobs at top corporations pay well
All articles in this directory are property of their respective authors. Additionally, read our Privacy Policy
© 2010 WebWorldarticles.com - All Rights Reserved. Partners: Gunblade Saga