Definition of a Nuclear Power Plant

By generating enough heat to turn water to steam, a nuclear power plant is a facility that can produce a huge amount of electricity.

Operations of a Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear power plants operate by producing nuclear reactions, creating the heat necessary to produce electricity. This heat-generating process from the nucleus of an atom is known as fission.

Components

A nuclear power plant consists of several vital components necessary to fully execute its operations, including the control rods, shielding and reactor core.

Nuclear Reactor

A nuclear reactor operates within a nuclear power plant to mine uranium and create nuclear fuel.

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle

During this cycle, uranium is mined, enriched and converted into nuclear fuel; the nuclear fuel is then transported to the power plant, where the spent fuel is delivered to a reprocessing plant after usage. Almost 95 percent of spent fuel can be recycled for use at a nuclear power plant.

Dangers of Nuclear Power Plants

Exposure to radiation is a potential danger at a nuclear power plant.

Resources

• What is a Nuclear Power Plant?
• Nuclear Power Plants, RadTown USA, US EPA
• Babcock Noell