28-06-2012, 01:02 PM
Nuclear Power Plants
Nuclear Power Plants Chernobyl.ppt (Size: 493 KB / Downloads: 113)
Most Significant Current Use:
Nuclear Power (Generation of Electrical Power)
Others Uses
Nuclear Propulsion (in devices such as rockets)
Transmutation of Elements (production/creation of Plutonium/other radioactive isotopes for uses such as radiation therapy)
Research/Technology (neutron and positron radiation)
Various Types of Nuclear Reactors
Pool-type Reactor
Pressurized Water Reactor
Boiling Water Reactor
Fast Breeder Reactor
Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor
Magnox Reactor
Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor
Light-Water Cooled Graphite Moderated Reactor (RBMK)
Aqueous Homogenous Reactor
Liquid Fluoride Reactor
Nuclear Fission in Reactors and Generation of Electricity
Fuel (type of Uranium or sometimes Plutonium)
Nuclear fission occurs when a heavy nucleus is struck by a neutron and is divided into two smaller nucleuses as well as extra neutron
This starts the chain reaction of nuclear fission and is the basis for nuclear energy
Nuclear Fission
If the stable atom of Uranium-235 is converted to the unstable U-236 by adding a neutron, it immediately begins to decay by splitting into smaller atoms and it releases energy.
Chain Reaction
Each time an atom breaks apart and gives off neutrons, those neutrons fly into other U-235 atoms and cause them to decay
*Most neutrons move too quickly and simply bounce off the heavier atoms, so a coolant is introduced to slow them down and continue the chain reaction