How do nuclear power plants work?

Answer 1

Fission of Uranium-235, splitting of this atom into two smaller atoms of different elements. A neutron must hit the nucleus at just the right speed to cause the Uranium-235 to undergo fission. When the Uranium atom is split into smaller atoms called fission products, free neutrons are released which can split more Uranium atoms. The fission product atoms separate at high speed, transferring lots of energy to its surroundings making them very hot. This heat is used to boil water, making steam which is used to turn turbines. The turbines turn generators which produce electricity.

Answer 2

A nuclear reactor uses Uranium rods as fuel, and the heat is generated by nuclear fission: neutrons smash into the nucleus of the uranium atoms, which split roughly in half and release energy in the form of heat. Carbon dioxide gas or water is pumped through the reactor to take the heat away, this then heats water to make steam.

The steam is used to turn massive steam turbines which drive hugh machines called alternators to produce electricity. The electricity is then distributed to homes, factories, schools, hospitals, railways and all kinds of other users via an electric power distribution network called a national power grid.

More detail about nuclear reactors and the processing of nuclear fuelThe heart of a nuclear power plant is the nuclear reactor. The most common type is the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). Inside a very strong pressure vessel is an array of fuel assemblies containing uranium rods enriched to about 4 percent U 235, each rod clad in zircaloy sheathing. The reactor contains water, at high pressure to prevent boiling, and also neutron absorbing control rods. The fuel array can be made to produce a nuclear chain reaction, in which U235 nuclei fission or split, releasing heat which is transferred to the water which is circulated to an external circuit. Here heat is transferred to a secondary water circuit where steam is produced which feeds a steam turbine/generator. The reactor power output is controlled by the control rods and also soluble boron poisoning. When loaded with fresh fuel the reactor has excess reactivity which is controlled by these means, during operation the fuel is gradually used up and eventually, at intervals of roughly 2 years, it has to be shutdown for fresh fuel to be loaded in place of spent fuel. The spent fuel is highly radioactive and has to be stored under water for safety and for cooling. In the US and some other countries this storage on site is permanent, at least for the life of the station, but some longer term storage will be needed for thousands of years before it can be considered safe.

There are other types of reactor, including gas cooled ones, but the PWR is now established as the type most often built, from experience of cost and reliability.

See the Related link below: "How Nuclear Plant Works"

Answer 3

Nuclear power plants work by using radioactive materials that are spontaneously breaking down. These materials give off a lot of energy in the form of heat. The heat is then used to warm water up which in turn spins a turbine that produces the energy. The radioactive material is contained in one area, the water is cooled and used again to be heated to spin the turbine.

Answer 4

It works by Turbines and Generators put simply. The unstable element in the reactor unit is used to heat/pressurize water. The water is then pumped into pipes. These pipes are then run through a container (for lack of a better word) called a steam generator. There is water inside this container and because of the heat the water changes into a gas state (aka water vapor). The vapor is then used to turn turbines, these turbines turn generators which create electricity (or movement of a shaft which could be put to other uses). There is a cooling pipe that runs through the area after (for lack of a better word) the turbine to condense the water vapor and return it to a liquid state. The cooling pipes get the cool water from the giant cooling towers. This water from area after the turbines then goes back to the steam generator to be used again. While this is happening the water in the reactor is going around again to get reheated and reused to heat the steam generator.

Answer 5

A nuclear powerplant works by cooling off elements that can give off harmful radiation or other damages. By cooling these elements, you can call it "deactivating" them, and they have no energy they need to react. Most powerplants use these to slow down the process of nuclear fission, (the process in which they purposely split the nucleus of an atom) or the decomposition of an unstable chemical isotope. I'm 13 and hope that this helped.

Answer 6

Radioactive fuel produces heat, which boils water, which drives a steam turbine.