non electricity uses of nuclear energy

On top of the increase in proposed reactors, PEN can supply U for... =)

Non-Electricity Uses of Nuclear Energy
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/info.html#non-electricityuses

Nuclear Reactors for Space

Radioisotope power sources have been used in space since 1961.
Fission power sources have been used mainly by Russia, but new and more powerful designs are under development in the USA.

Research Reactors

Many of the world's nuclear reactors are used for research and training, materials testing, or the production of radioisotopes for medicine and industry. They are basically neutron factories.
These are much smaller than power reactors or those propelling ships, and many are on university campuses.
There are about 280 such reactors operating, in 56 countries.
Some operate with high-enriched uranium fuel, and international efforts are underway to substitute low-enriched fuel.

Radioisotopes in Medicine

Nuclear medicine uses radiation to provide diagnostic information about the functioning of a person's specific organs, or to treat them. Diagnostic procedures are now routine.
Radiotherapy can be used to treat some medical conditions, especially cancer, using radiation to weaken or destroy particular targeted cells.
Millions of nuclear medicine procedures are performed each year, and demand for radioisotopes is increasing rapidly.

Radioisotopes in Industry

Modern industry uses radioisotopes in a variety of ways to improve productivity and, in some cases, to gain information that cannot be obtained in any other way.
Sealed radioactive sources are used in industrial radiography, gauging applications and mineral analysis.
Short-lived radioactive material is used in flow tracing and mixing measurements.
Gamma sterilisation is used for medical supplies, some bulk commodities and, increasingly, for food preservation.

Nuclear-Powered Ships

Nuclear power is particularly suitable for vessels which need to be at sea for long periods without refuelling, or for powerful submarine propulsion.
Over 150 ships are powered by more than 220 small nuclear reactors and more than 12,000 reactor years of marine operation has been accumulated.
Most are submarines, but they range from icebreakers to aircraft carriers.
In future, constraints on fossil fuel use in transport may bring marine nuclear propulsion into more widespread use. So far, exaggerated fears about safety have caused political restriction on port access.

Transport and the Hydrogen Economy

Hydrogen is widely seen as a future transport fuel, but that future is probably further off than popularly perceived.
In the short term, hybrid electric vehicles have potential to increase the demand for base-load power from grid systems.
The use of hydrogen in the production of transport fuels from crude oil is increasing rapidly and is vital where tar sands are the source.
Nuclear energy can be used to make hydrogen electrolytically, and in the future high-temperature reactors are likely to be used to make it thermochemically.
The energy demand for hydrogen production could exceed that for electricity production today.

Electricity and Cars

Electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles which are able to be charged from mains power have potential to increase the demand for base-load power from grid systems
Development of these depends critically on battery technology.
Current hybrid cars are simply a step on the way to plug-in versions which will get most of their power from the grid.

Nuclear Desalination

Potable water is in short supply in many parts of the world. Lack of it is set to become a constraint on development in some areas.
Nuclear energy is already being used for desalination, and has the potential for much greater use.
Nuclear desalination is generally very cost-competitive with using fossil fuels.

Nuclear Process Heat for Industry

Nuclear energy is an excellent source of process heat for various industrial applications including desalination, synthetic and unconventional oil production, and in the future: hydrogen production.

Smoke Detectors and Americium

Most smoke detectors which operate alarms contain an artificially produced radioisotope: americium-241.
Americium-241 is made in nuclear reactors, and is a decay product of plutonium-241.

Uranium and Depleted Uranium

The basic fuel for a nuclear power reactor is uranium - a very heavy metal containing abundant concentrated energy.
It is mildly radioactive and occurs naturally in the Earth's crust.
Depleted uranium is a by-product or waste product of uranium enrichment.
The health hazards associated with any uranium are much the same as those for lead.