Fission: Nuclear fission is the splitting of the nucleus of uranium which releases energy, as in a nuclear reactor.

Fusion: Nuclear fusion is the joining up of two smaller nuclei into one larger, in our sun it is the fusion of hydrogen which produces helium, and releases energy. Nuclear energy: Nuclear energy originates from the splitting of uranium atoms in a process called fission. At the power plant, the fission process is used to generate heat for producing steam, which is used by a turbine to generate electricity. Chain Reaction: In a nuclear reactor free neutrons hit a uranium atom U235 and split it. New neutrons are set free and when they run into other uranium atoms they split them again. When this continues over and over again, its called a chain reaction. Fig-5.1 P- 359 Control rods are put into the reactor so that the chain reaction doesnt go on so fast. The chain reaction also gives off heat energy. This heat is used to make water hot and produce steam. The steam turns a turbine to generate electricity. Fertile material: It is defined as the material which absorbs neutrons and undergoes spontaneous changes which lead to the formation of fissionable material. U238 and Th232 are fertile materials. They absorb neutrons and produce fissionable materials Pu239 and U233 respectively. Unite of radioactivity: The basic unit of radioactivity is named as curie. It is the activity of one gram of radioactivity element radium. It has been estimated that rate of decay of one gram of radium is equal to 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations per second. Parts of a nuclear reactor: A nuclear reactor is an apparatus in which heat is produced due to nuclear fission chain reaction. The various parts of reactor are as follows: 1. Nuclear Fuel 2. Moderator 3. Control Rods 4. Reflector 5. Reactors Vessel 6. Biological Shielding 7. Coolant.

Fig: Schematic diagram of nuclear reactor.

 What are the properties of nuclear fuel? Fuel element cladding should possess the following properties: 1. It should be able to withstand high temperature within the reactor. 2. It should have high corrosion resistance. 3. It should have high thermal conductivity. 4. It should not have a tendency to absorb neutrons. 5. It should have sufficient strength to withstand the effect of radiations to which it is subjected. Main component of nuclear power plant. P-368 Boiling Water reator. P-369 Advantages & Disadvantages of nuclear power plant. Advantages: 1. Space requirement of a nuclear power plant is less as compared to other conventional power plants are of equal size. 2. A nuclear power plant consumes very small quantity of fuel. 3. There is increased reliability of operation. 4. Nuclear power plants are not effected by adverse weather conditions. 5. Nuclear power plants are well suited to meet large power demands. 6. Materials expenditure on metal structures, piping, storage mechanisms are much lower for a nuclear power plant than a coal burning power plant. 7. It does not require large quantity of water. Disadvantages: 1. Initial cost of nuclear power plant is higher as compared to hydro or steam power plant. 2. Nuclear power plants are not well suited for varying load conditions. 3. Radioactive wastes if not disposed carefully may have bad effect on the health of workers and other population. 4. Maintenance cost of the plant is high. 5. It requires trained personnel to handle nuclear power plants. Site selection: The various factors to be considered while selecting the site for nuclear plant are as follows: 1. Availability of water 2. Distance from load center 3. Distance from populated area 4. Accessibility to site 5. Waste disposal Comparison of nuclear power plant and steam power plant. The cost of electricity generation is nearly equal in both these power plants. The other advantages and disadvantages are as follows: 1. The number of workman required for the operation of nuclear power plant is much less than a steam power plant. This reduces the cost of operation. 2. The capital cost of nuclear power plant falls sharply if the size of plant is increased. The capital cost as structural materials, piping, storage mechanism etc. much less in nuclear power plant than similar expenditure of steam power plant. However, the expenditure of nuclear reactor and building complex is much higher. 3. The cost of power generation by nuclear power plant becomes competitive with cost of steam power plant above the unit size of about 500 mW. Example: 5.1-5.5 P-394

 Water power: Moving water has kinetic energy. This can be transferred into useful energy in different ways. Hydroelectric power (HEP) schemes store water high up in dams. The water has gravitational potential energy which is released when it falls. Advantages of water power: 1. The plant is highly reliable and its maintenance and operation charges are very low. 2. The plant can be run up and synchronized in a few minutes. 3. The load can be varied quickly and the rapidly changing load de-mands can be met without any difficulty. 4. The plant has no stand by losses. 5. No fuel charges. 6. The efficiency of the plant does not change with age. 7. The cost of generation of electricity varies little with the passage of time. Dam: Dams are massive barriers built across rivers and streams to confine and utilize the flow of water for human purposes such as irrigation and generation of hydroelectricity. This confinement of water creates lakes or reservoirs.