Nuclear power project sending student to national science fair

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/05/2021 (1608 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A local student is on his way to the Canada-Wide Science Fair after earning a gold medal for his research on theoretical solutions to the dangers of nuclear power.

Zachary Ireland, a Grade 11 student at Maples Met School, recently competed at the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium, where his project also received the “best overall” designation in the seniors category.

“My project was about finding a substance that has a high likelihood of absorbing radiation,” Ireland explained.

“Nuclear power works by splitting an atom in half, and it releases lots of energy. When that happens, approximately three neutrons are released, and then those could hit other atoms and make them split, too. So it’s a big chain reaction, and that can be dangerous. So it’s good to have an element or substance in the reactor, that’s able to slow that reaction down, so it doesn’t get out of control.

“My project isn’t a complete project, because anything can absorb radiation … There’s millions of compounds available to test. But for the sake of this project, I just picked seven specific elements I thought had the best potential.”

Ireland found that cadmium has an approximately 60 per cent chance of absorbing a neutron.

Nuclear power offers a clean alternative to energy production, as reactors don’t emit greenhouse gases. It also generates more energy. For instance, one nuclear reactor produces an equal amount of energy to 431 utility-scale wind turbines, according to the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy.

There are more than 400 reactors in over 30 countries, including six in Canada. In 2018, nuclear power generation accounted for approximately 15 per cent of Canada’s electricity, according to the government’s website.

Despite its potential benefits, there are a number of reasons opposing the expansion of nuclear power generation, including the possible weaponization of nuclear technology and a lack of infrastructure for disposing of waste. And though power plant meltdowns are rare, they have devastating effects.

But as the world’s population increases — it’s estimated the number of people will grow from seven to nine billion by 2040 — so does the energy demand, which is expected to grow by 19 per cent in that time, according to the International Energy Agency.

Ireland said fighting climate change is why investment in nuclear energy research and production is important.

“There’s really no getting around it if we want to have a shot at solving climate change. As climate change continues to affect ecosystems, governments are definitely going to have to rely on (nuclear energy).

“It’s important that we find something that’s able to absorb all the waste that (power plants) are producing.”

Held annually at the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium typically attracts more than 500 students from across the province. This year’s event was held online, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ireland is among 10 Manitoba students selected to advance to the national fair, which will take place virtually between May 17 and 21.