plants have to keep radiation out of the environment during an accident. It was built without the containment that all U.S. That reactor was very different from reactors in the U.S. That accident released a large amount of radioactivity into the environment. Some radioactivity was released into the atmosphere, but not enough to cause damage to the environment or people's health.Ī much more serious accident happened in 1986 at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union. That accident happened at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pa., in March 1979. There has only been one major accident at a nuclear power plant in this country. Small amounts of radioactivity can be released into the environment but only under controlled and monitored conditions. Inside the "containment building" that covers the reactor vessel and which is three to five feet thick!.Inside a "reactor vessel" where the fission takes place.Inside small ceramic pellets that are inside long metal rods.Radiation is trapped and contained in several ways: Radiation must be managed carefully as too much can hurt people and the environment. Nuclear power plants also create radiation from the fuel they use and the process of creating electricity. It can come from the sun and from certain rocks. Radiation is naturally present in our environment. These buildings have walls three to five feet thick! They are placed in long metal rods inside a reactor vessel, which is enclosed in a concrete and steel containment building. In reactors, radioactive material is contained inside small ceramic pellets about the size of the tip of an adult's finger. Barriers keep the radioactivity from escaping into the environment. Other systems cool the reactor and carry heat away from it. So all nuclear power plants have many safety systems that protect workers, the public and the environment.įor example, systems allow the fission process to be stopped and the reactor to be shut down quickly. It can damage human cells or cause cancer over time. It must be carefully managed because it can be dangerous if not handled properly. The radioactivity comes from the splitting of the atoms. In all nuclear power plants, the process of making electricity causes radioactivity. View an Animated Image of a Boiling Water Reactor In both types of plants, the steam is turned back into water and can be used again in the process.īoiling Water Reactor (BWR) (Click for Larger Version) (Click for Larger Version) View an Animated Image of a Pressurized Reactorīoiling Water Reactors are known as "BWRs." In BWRs, the water heated by fission actually boils and turns into steam to turn the generator.
Water from the reactor and the water that is turned into steam are in separate pipes and never mix. Pressurized Water Reactors are known as "PWRs." They keep water under pressure so that it heats but does not boil. But there are two different ways that steam is used. And all plants have deep pools where the nuclear fuel when it is no longer being used can be cooled and stored.Īll nuclear power plants make electricity from the steam created by the heat of splitting atoms. All nuclear power plants have a "containment structure" that holds the reactor. Some of the systems work to keep the plant working correctly and safely. Some of the systems work directly to make electricity. There are many different buildings at the site and many different systems. We make sure they are safe for people who work there and live nearby, and for the environment. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, also called the NRC, regulates nuclear power plants.
That means one out of every five homes in this country can turn on their lights due to the atom! The electricity can then be carried to your home, so you can work on the computer, watch television or make toast!Ībout 20 percent of the electricity in the U.S.
Nuclear energy fission uranium generator#
As the turbine spins, the generator turns and its magnetic field produces electricity. The heat from fission boils water and creates steam to turn a turbine. In a nuclear power plant, uranium is the material used in the fission process. When the process is repeated over and over, it is called a chain reaction. When atoms split apart, they release heat. At nuclear power plants, the heat to make the steam is created when atoms split apart - called fission. When the electricity is made from atoms splitting apart, it's called nuclear energy.Īll power plants convert heat into electricity using steam. For example, it can be made using solar panels or by burning coal or by capturing the heat from atoms that split apart. Electricity can be generated in different ways.
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