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.
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.
- "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...
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).
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.
The use of nuclear energy
In nuclear reactors used to generate electricity, and in many nuclear warheads.
Fabrication of nuclear fuels to generate electricity in nuclear power reactors.
Nuclear reactors are used to generate electricity by harnessing the energy from nuclear fission. This process produces a large amount of energy from a small amount of fuel, making nuclear power a reliable and efficient source of electricity. Additionally, nuclear reactors produce minimal greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional fossil fuels.
No, nuclear fission operates all nuclear reactors. If they are power plant reactors it is used to generate electricity.
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.
Radioisotopes are used in nuclear reactors as fuel to generate heat through nuclear fission. The heat produced is used to generate steam, which drives turbines to generate electricity. Radioisotopes such as uranium-235 and plutonium-239 are commonly used in nuclear reactors.
Nuclear reactors use controlled nuclear fission reactions to generate heat, which is then used to produce steam that drives turbines to generate electricity. The heat is produced in the reactor core where nuclear fuel rods containing uranium or plutonium undergo fission reactions. The reactor's cooling system helps regulate the temperature and prevent overheating.
Nuclear fuels, such as uranium, are used in nuclear reactors to generate electricity through a process called nuclear fission. In this process, the uranium atoms are split, releasing energy in the form of heat. This heat is then used to generate steam, which drives a turbine connected to a generator, producing electricity.
water is heated up by nuclear fission and turned into steam, that steam then turns massive turbines which generate electricity.
The use of nuclear reactors to generate electricity involves the controlled fission of uranium atoms to produce heat, which is then used to generate steam and turn turbines to produce electricity. This process is highly efficient and produces large amounts of energy without significant greenhouse gas emissions, but it also poses challenges in terms of nuclear waste management and safety concerns.
For commercial nuclear energetic reactors the enrichment in 235U is generally up to 5 %.