nuclear power plant
Fission energy facility
A nuclear power plant is a facility that generates electricity by harnessing energy from nuclear fission—the splitting of uranium or plutonium atoms.
The reaction heats water to produce steam, which drives turbines.
Nuclear plants provide substantial baseload power without carbon emissions, though they generate radioactive waste requiring long-term storage: The nuclear power plant supplies electricity to three million homes.
Self-sustaining causal sequence
- uraniumElement ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- neutronsUncharged subatomic particles
- splittingDividing into parts
critical mass · isotopes · enrichment · fuel rods · control rods · moderator · cross-section · breeding
Central essential portion
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
- vesselReceptacle for contents
- control rodsNeutron-absorbing reactor components
- coolantTemperature-regulating fluid
pressurizer · cooling tower · heat exchanger · criticality · refueling · shutdown · reactivity · pressure vessel
Forced rapid system halt
- backup generatorsSecondary power supply equipment
- redundancyNeedless duplication
- meltdownCatastrophic loss of control
- Three Mile IslandPennsylvania nuclear disaster site
Chernobyl · Fukushima · IAEA · safety systems · evacuation zone · exclusion zone · risk assessment · defense in depth
Framework of intersecting lines
- megawattsMillion-watt units
- gigawattsBillion-watt units
- turbineBlade-driven energy converter
- generatorElectricity-producing machine
baseload · kilowatt-hours · transmission · substation · transformer · output · dispatch · interconnection
Emitting nuclear decay particles
- gamma raysHighest-frequency electromagnetic radiation
- alpha particlesEmitted helium nuclei
- beta particlesElectrons from radioactive decay
- shieldingProtecting from harm
containment · dosimeter · contamination · decay · half-life · spent fuel · iodine-131 · cesium-137
Facility housing operational oversight
- operatorsThose who manage equipment
- licensingGranting official permission
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
- maintenancePreserving working condition
outage · life extension · shift supervisor · simulator training · technical specifications · operating license
Used nuclear material
- reprocessingHandling material again
- vitrificationTransformation into glass
- decommissioningWithdrawing from active service
- half-lifePeriod for fifty-percent reduction
chain reaction
Self-sustaining causal sequence
splitting · critical mass · isotopes · enrichment · fuel rods · control rods · moderator · cross-section · breeding · subcritical
core
Central essential portion
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
- vesselReceptacle for contents
- control rodsNeutron-absorbing reactor components
coolant · pressurizer · cooling tower · heat exchanger · criticality · refueling · shutdown · reactivity · pressure vessel · boiling water
emergency shutdown
Forced rapid system halt
- backup generatorsSecondary power supply equipment
- redundancyNeedless duplication
- meltdownCatastrophic loss of control
Three Mile Island · Chernobyl · Fukushima · IAEA · safety systems · evacuation zone · exclusion zone · risk assessment · defense in depth
grid
Framework of intersecting lines
generator · baseload · kilowatt-hours · transmission · substation · transformer · output · dispatch · interconnection
radioactive
Emitting nuclear decay particles
- gamma raysHighest-frequency electromagnetic radiation
- alpha particlesEmitted helium nuclei
- beta particlesElectrons from radioactive decay
shielding · containment · dosimeter · contamination · decay · half-life · spent fuel · iodine-131 · cesium-137 · strontium-90
control room
Facility housing operational oversight
- operatorsThose who manage equipment
- licensingGranting official permission
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
maintenance · outage · life extension · shift supervisor · simulator training · technical specifications · operating license
spent fuel
Used nuclear material
- reprocessingHandling material again
- vitrificationTransformation into glass
- decommissioningWithdrawing from active service
nuclear power plantsolar farm
Grid-scale photovoltaic installation
wind farm · solar panel array · hydroelectric dam · geothermal plant · wind turbine
nuclear power plantwaterwheel
River-powered rotating mechanism
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