The steam then turns an electric generator to produce electricity. BWRs heat water and produce steam directly inside the reactor vessel. Water is pumped up through the reactor core and heated by fission. Pipes then feed the steam directly to a turbine to produce electricity. Nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant. Nuclear Fission Creates Heat The main job of a reactor is to house and control nuclear fission —a process where atoms split and release energy.
Fission and Fusion: What is the Difference? There are two types of light-water reactors operating in America. The heat in these pipes is used to turn a second, isolated, supply of water to steam, which is in turn used to drive the turbine. The water from the reactor is pumped back into the reactor vessel and reheated.
The steam from the turbine is cooled in a condenser and the resulting water is sent back to the steam generator. Enriched uranium is the fuel for nuclear reactors.
Uranium is an abundant, naturally radioactive element found in most rocks. A similar process generates heat inside a nuclear reactor.
Inside each uranium fuel pellet, there are millions of uranium nuclei. When these nuclei are split, a huge amount of energy is released. Some of this energy is from radiation, but the biggest source is kinetic energy. This is the energy that produces heat inside a reactor, which in turn is used to generate steam, and ultimately creates electricity. For more than 60 years, nuclear energy has provided the world with reliable electricity.
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Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids. Natural gas. Also in Hydrocarbon gas liquids explained Hydrocarbon gas liquids Where do hydrocarbon gas liquids come from? Transporting and storing Uses of hydrocarbon gas liquids Imports and exports Prices.
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Like any industry, the nuclear industry generates waste. However, unlike many industries, nuclear power generates very little of it — and fully contains and manages what it does produce. The vast majority of the waste from nuclear power plants is not very radioactive and for many decades has been responsibly managed and disposed of.
The used fuel which comes out of the reactor can be managed in different ways, including recycling for energy production or direct disposal. As a matter of fact, many countries have been using recycled fuel for decades to partially fuel their reactors.
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