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How much electricity produced in one power plant?
Nuclear power plants have been build in several sizes. The nuclear reactor to generate electricity was EBR-1, the Experimental Breeder Reactor number 1 in Idaho. On December 20th 1952 it generated enough electricity to power four light bulbs! On June 27 1954 the Obninisk Nuclear Power Station in the USSR became the first nuclear reactor to provide electricity to an electricity grid. It was a 5MW (electric) reactor. In general the larger a reactor the cheaper the electricity it produces, although larger reactors are arguably less safe than smaller ones. The largest nuclear power plant in the world currently is the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. It has seven reactors in the gigawatt range, KK-1 to KK-5, which are boiling water reactors with an rated output of 1.067GW(e) each, and KK-6 and KK-7, advanced boiling water reactors each with rated outputs of 1.315GW(e). However these reactors and their associated fuel fabrication facilities have been plagued with problems including management malfeasance, falsification of data and earthquakes. All reactors are currently offline for inspection. a reactor is the cheaper it can produce electricity though, and recent designs have be in the multi-gigawatt range.
What role do fuel rods play in generating energy?
Fuel rods are the nuclear fuel in a nuclear power plant. They are used to turn water to steam, which is then used to turn a turbine. They do not "generate energy", since energy cannot be created or destroyed (E=mc^2). They are used to generate electricity, or to convert nuclear energy to electric energy.
What percentage of electricity in Europe is produced by nuclear power?
- "Europe draws nearly a third of its energy from nuclear power..." http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/07/10/ap5200802.html "Only about 30 percent of Europe's electricity is produced by nuclear plants..." http://www.coxwashington.com/hp/content/reporters/stories/2008/02/10/NUCLEAR_EUROPE10_COX.html "Across the 25 EU states, 148 nuclear reactors account for 32 percent of electricity needs..." http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fossil_Fuel_Crisis_Drives_Europe_To_Nuclear__Green_Energy.html All on the first page of a google search...
Do power stations use heat to generate electricity?
Yes most power stations do use heat to generate electricity. Heat energy of the fuel (e.g. burning coal, burning oil, nuclear fission) is utilized to heat water present in the boiler. This heating generates steam, which is then utilized to run the turbine. However some power stations get the energy to generate electricity without using heat (e.g. hydroelectric dams, wind power, sea wave power, solar cell generation systems).
How does nuclear energy change to electrical energy?
The neutrons from the radioactive decay process heats up water, which then turns to steam. The steam under pressure will force a turbine around, which will generate electricity.
Why do we have nuclear reactors?
To generate electricity
The use of nuclear reactors to generate electricity is?
The use of nuclear energy
The use of nuclear reactors to generate electricity is what?
The use of nuclear power
How can you use nuclear fission?
In nuclear reactors used to generate electricity, and in many nuclear warheads.
How does Canada use its uranium?
Fabrication of nuclear fuels to generate electricity in nuclear power reactors.
Is nuclear fission only used to create atomic bombs?
No, nuclear fission operates all nuclear reactors. If they are power plant reactors it is used to generate electricity.
What is the difference between a bioreactor and nuclear reactor?
A nuclear reactor uses either nuclear fission or nuclear fusion to generate electricity, while bio-reactors use the excretions of many animals to generate electricity.
How is electricity produced using nuclear reactors?
water is heated up by nuclear fission and turned into steam, that steam then turns massive turbines which generate electricity.
Is nuclear fission currently used to produce electricity?
Absolutely. All commercial and military nuclear reactors, which are used to generate electricity, use fission.
How is enriched uranium used to generate electricity in a nuclear reactor?
For commercial nuclear energetic reactors the enrichment in 235U is generally up to 5 %.
What are the functions of nuclear reactors?
Primarily, nuclear reactors are used to generate heat, which is used to flash water to steam, which is used to spin turbines, which are used to generate electricity. It is also possible to use reactors for research, as well as for weapons development, such as in the generation of weapons grade Plutonium-239.
Nuclear reactors should not be used to generate electricity?
False. Nuclear power is used to generate about 25% of the electricity in the United States, and about 75% of the electricity in France. Nuclear power is far safer than coal-fired power plants, and produces no harmful emissions, if you care about such things.
