The main difference between a nuclear power plant and a coal-fired one is that it uses a different heat source. It does not burn fossil fuels, but exploits the phenomenon of uranium fission. Each nucleus of this element, which is broken down into smaller parts, releases a little bit of energy. This little bit multiplied by billions of billions of fissions gives an enormous amount in total. One kilo of nuclear fuel can generate as much energy as burning tens of thousands of tonnes of coal. This means less waste and no CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
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Conventional power plants use coal, oil or gas. By burning them, thermal energy is obtained, which is most often used to prepare hot water vapour under high pressure. It drives turbines connected to a power generator. A nuclear power plant differs from a conventional power plant mainly by using a different heat source. It does not burn fossil fuels, the resources of which are dwindling rapidly. It exploits the phenomenon of fission of uranium atoms. Every uranium atom that is broken down into smaller parts releases a "little" of energy. This "little bit", multiplied by billions of billions of fissions, gives an enormous amount of energy in total. One tonne of nuclear fuel can generate as much energy as burning tens of millions of tonnes of coal....
Uranium 235U is an element that has 92 protons and 143 neutrons in its nucleus - which gives a total of 235 nucleons. However, uraniom isotope 235 stands for but 1% of all naturally occuring uranium. Uranium is the heaviest element found in the earth's crust in significant quantities. 235U is spontaneously decomposed and undergoes forced nuclear fission. This results in neutrons that cause subsequent fission. When hitting another uranium 236 nucleus, unstable uranium 236 nuclei (with 144 neutrons in the nucleus) can be formed for a moment, which break down into krypton and bar and another 3 neutrons ready to "break up" subsequent atoms. Such a cascade is called a chain reaction. When designing a nuclear reactor, we want to be able to control this reaction: accelerate it when we need more energy, or inhibit it when we want to reduce the production of electricity. For this, we need control rods that absorb and slow down some neutrons. In this way, by regulating the insertion of control rods between the fuel rods, we can influence the efficiency of the reactor.
The heat emitted in the reactor is transferred to the heat exchangers by means of a cooling system. High-pressure steam is produced there, which drives the turbines and the generator. This part of the process is not much different from the generation of electricity in a conventional power plant.
So try to harness the atomic element. Control the level of control rods, control cooling capacity and power production. Will you manage the operation of a nuclear power plant safely?