Nuclear Power

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Nuclear Power

Nuclear power plants create electricity using the energy released by splitting atoms to boil water and create steam which turns a steam turbine driving a generator. Since no fuel is burned, there are no gases or pollutants released into the air. The water used to create steam is isolated from radiation and any hot water to be discharged is cooled down in ponds or in tall cooling towers. Nuclear waste is the only byproduct of nuclear power and is packaged and stored rather than released into the environment. Unlike other fossil fuels, nuclear power plants release almost no emissions into the environment.

Two different light-water reactor designs are currently in use, the Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) and the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR).

Diagram of a PWR

In a PWR, the heat is removed from the reactor by water flowing in a closed pressurized loop. The heat is transferred to a second water loop through a heat exchanger. The second loop is kept at a lower pressure, allowing the water to boil and create steam, which is used to turn the turbine-generator and produce electricity. Afterward, the steam is condensed into water and