What are the important components of a nuclear power plant?

Answer 1

A:The elements used in nuclear power station are radioactive elements such as thorium (Th), polonium, radium (Ra), uranium (U), etc. some moderators are also used like deuterium( isotope of hydrogen). A:The radioactive elements used for fuel in nuclear power stations must have certain important characteristics in addition to being radioactive. They need to be fissionable or fertile. There are two such elements occurring in nature, and these are uranium and thorium. Additional synthetic elements exist of this type, and the most important of these for nuclear power is plutonium.

There are other complication to nuclear power, importantly that there must be a neutron source, and so, for example, uranium must be enriched to increase the number of neutrons, as its neutron source is uranium-235, which is not present in sufficient quantities in naturally occurring uranium.

Answer 2

The critical element at a nuclear power plant is the element used as fuel, which we discuss in a related question (see "Which element is used for fuel in most nuclear power plants?").

The fuel is usually uranium or (less often) plutonium and thorium.

However, many other elements play supporting roles, such as:

oxygen (O): A few nuclear power plants use pure metallic U as fuel, but in most nuclear power plants, the fuel is uranium in the form of uranium dioxide UO2, which can stay solid at a much higher temperature than metallic U.

zirconium (Zr): most nuclear reactors hold the fuel in tubes of zirconium alloy, which has a low neutron cross section (it goes brittle less rapidly than stainless steel used in older nuclear power plants) and is corrosion-resistant.

boron, and carbon

Cadmium is used in reactors as control rods to slow the rate of chemical reaction.

Hydrogen and oxygen are found in the heavy water that moderates the rate of nuclear reation.

Lead is sometimes used in the radiation shields.

In some models of reactor, liquid sodium is used as a heat exchanger.

Answer 3

Nuclear power plants are thermal power stations that use heat to generate steam to produce electricity. Power plants use nuclear reactors, steam turbines and cooling towers, among other devices.

Answer 4

Most reactors, and all in the US I believe, use enriched uranium (that is enriched in the fissile isotope U235). In some other countries fuel composed partly of uranium and partly plutonium is used (this is called MOX or mixed oxide fuel). The plutonium has been recovered from used uranium fuel. This processing is done in the UK and in France, but not in the US (not on a commercial scale at least).

Answer 5

The most common nuclear fuels that undergo fission are 235U and 239Pu. However, the most common nuclear fuel overall is 238U, which makes up the bulk of the total fuel, but doesn't absorb slow neutrons; i.e., isn't fissile.

Answer 6

A:The elements used in nuclear power station are radioactive elements such as thorium (Th), polonium, radium (Ra), uranium (U), etc. some moderators are also used like deuterium( isotope of hydrogen). A:The radioactive elements used for fuel in nuclear power stations must have certain important characteristics in addition to being radioactive. They need to be fissionable or fertile. There are two such elements occurring in nature, and these are uranium and thorium. Additional synthetic elements exist of this type, and the most important of these for nuclear power is plutonium.

There are other complication to nuclear power, importantly that there must be a neutron source, and so, for example, uranium must be enriched to increase the number of neutrons, as its neutron source is uranium-235, which is not present in sufficient quantities in naturally occurring uranium.

Answer 7

It is uranium enriched to about 5% U-235, in oxide form UO2, made into small cylinders 10mm diameter which are placed inside a zircaloy sheath to make up a single fuel rod. A large number of these rods are then made up into a fuel assembly with zircaloy supports and connectors, and it is the whole assembly that is loaded and unloaded to the reactor at refuelling outages.

Answer 8

The main components of a nuclear power plant that is based on pressurized light water nuclear reactor type are:

• nuclear reactor core (including nuclear fuel, reactor coolant, and the neutron moderator)
• reactor coolant pumps
• reactor pressurizer
• steam generator
• steam turbines
• electric generators
• electric Transformers
• diesel generators
• electric transmission lines
• safety and emergency systems

Answer 9

Nuclear fusion is beyond our abilities at the present.
It takes place in stars where lighter elements are fused to heavier elements, hydrogen atoms are fused to helium for instance.