Thermal and nuclear power plant

A nuclear power plant or nuclear power station is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As
is typical in all conventional thermal power stations the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine
connected to an electric generator which produces electricity. Nuclear power stations are usually considered to be base
load stations, since fuel is a small part of the cost of production.[3] Their operations and maintenance (O&M) and fuel
costs are, along with hydropower stations, at the low end of the spectrum and make them suitable as base-load power
suppliers.

System
The conversion to electrical energy takes place indirectly, as in conventional thermal power stations. The fission in a
nuclear reactor heats the reactor coolant. The coolant may be water or gas or even liquid metal depending on the type of
reactor. The reactor coolant then goes to a steam generator and heats water to produce steam. The pressurized steam is
then usually fed to a multi-stage steam turbine. After the steam turbine has expanded and partially condensed the steam,
the remaining vapor is condensed in a condenser. The condenser is a heat exchanger which is connected to a secondary
side such as a river or a cooling tower. The water is then pumped back into the steam generator and the cycle begins again

Nuclear reactor

The nuclear reactor is the heart of the station. In its central part, the reactor core's heat is generated by controlled nuclear
fission. With this heat, a coolant is heated as it is pumped through the reactor and thereby removes the energy from the
reactor. Heat from nuclear fission is used to raise steam, which runs through turbines, which in turn powers the electrical
generators. Nuclear reactors usually rely on uranium to fuel the chain reaction. Uranium is a very heavy metal. Naturally
occurring uranium is found in two different isotopes: uranium-238 (U-238), accounting for 99.3% and uranium-235 (U-
235) accounting for about 0.7%. Isotopes are atoms of the same element with a different number of neutrons. U-235 is
fissile which means that it is easily split and gives off a lot of energy making it ideal for nucle

Since nuclear fission creates radioactivity, the reactor core is surrounded by a protective shield. This containment absorbs
radiation and prevents radioactive material from being released into the environment. In addition, many reactors are
equipped with a dome of concrete to protect the reactor against both internal casualties and external impactsar energy

Steam turbine[edit]

Main article: Steam turbine

The purpose of the steam turbine is to convert the heat contained in steam into mechanical energy. The engine house
with the steam turbine is usually structurally separated from the main reactor building.

Generator[edit]

Main article: Electric generator

The generator converts mechanical power supplied by the turbine into electrical power

Cooling system[edit]
A cooling system removes heat from the reactor core and transports it to another area of the station, where
the thermal energy can be harnessed to produce electricity or to do other useful work. Typically the hot
coolant is used as a heat source for a boiler, and the pressurized steam from that drives one or more steam
turbine driven electrical generators

Feedwater pump[edit]
The water level in the steam generator and nuclear reactor is controlled using the feedwater system. The
feedwater pump has the task of taking the water from the condensate system, increasing the pressure and
forcing it into either the steam generators (in the case of a pressurized water reactor) or directly into the
reactor (for boiling water reactors).
Nucler fission and fusion

Fission

The process of splitting of a nucleus of a heavy atom into a number of light nuclei with the liberation of large
amount of energy and two or three neutrons is called nuclear fission.

Example: When U-235 is bombarded by a neutron it splits into barium, krypton and 2.5 neutrons per fission on an
average.

Different Types of Fission Reaction

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The fission reaction can take place in two ways:

 Controlled fission reaction or critical fission reaction.

 Uncontrolled fission reaction or explosive fission reaction.

Controlled Fission Reaction or Critical Fission Reaction

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In critical fission each fission of an unstable atom is allowed to retain just the right number of neutrons. This
ensures that the number of atoms undergoing fission remains constant with time and does not go on multiplying
endlessly.

Explosive Fission ReactionBack to Top

An explosive fission reaction is that fission reaction which is deliberately allowed to go out of control by allowing
all the neutrons produced during fission of an unstable atom to cause further fission, resulting in an explosion.

Explosive fission reaction is used in an atom bomb.

Fusion power is energy generated by nuclear fusion, or more broadly, the use of that power as an energy
source. Fusion has a number of advantages over fission as a source of power, including reduced radioactivity,
ample fuel supplies, and increased safety. Fusion reactions fuse two lighter atomic nuclei to form a heavier
nucleus. It is the process used in stars to produce energy and heavier elements. The reaction normally takes
place in a plasma of deuterium and tritium heated to millions of degrees. At such temperatures the only way
to confine the plasma while the reactions take place is to use electric or magnetic fields.