Who is nuclear power

Fission takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant. At the center of the reactor is the core, which contains uranium fuel.

The uranium fuel is formed into ceramic pellets. Each ceramic pellet produces about the same amount of energy as gallons of oil. These energy-rich pellets are stacked end-to-end in foot metal fuel rods. A bundle of fuel rods, some with hundreds of rods, is called a fuel assembly. A reactor core contains many fuel assemblies. The heat produced during nuclear fission in the reactor core is used to boil water into steam, which turns the blades of a steam turbine.

As the turbine blades turn, they drive generators that make electricity. Nuclear plants cool the steam back into water in a separate structure at the power plant called a cooling tower, or they use water from ponds, rivers, or the ocean. The cooled water is then reused to produce steam. Nuclear reactors in the United States may have large concrete domes covering the reactors, which are required to contain accidental releases of radiation.

Not all nuclear power plants have cooling towers. Some nuclear power plants use water from lakes, rivers, or the ocean for cooling. As of December 31, , 94 nuclear reactors were operating at 56 nuclear power plants in 28 states. Thirty-two of the plants have two reactors, and three plants have three reactors. Learn more about the U. The United States had the largest nuclear electricity generation capacity and generated more nuclear electricity than any other country.

Nuclear explained Nuclear power plants. What is energy? Units and calculators. It powers communities in 28 U. The Office of Nuclear Energy within the U.

Department of Energy DOE focuses its research primarily on maintaining the existing fleet of reactors, developing new advanced reactor technologies, and improving the nuclear fuel cycle to increase the sustainability of our energy supply and strengthen the U.

Below are some of the main advantages of nuclear energy and the challenges currently facing the industry today. Nuclear is the largest source of clean power in the United States.

This avoids more than million metric tons of carbon each year, which is the equivalent of removing million cars off of the road. The thermal energy from nuclear reactors may also be used to decarbonize other energy-intensive sectors such as transportation — the largest contributor to carbon pollution.

Nuclear power plants run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are designed to operate for longer stretches and refuel every 1. They also contribute billions of dollars annually to local economies through federal and state tax revenues. A strong civilian nuclear sector is essential to U. The United States must maintain its global leadership in this arena to influence the peaceful use of nuclear technologies.

The U. Commercial nuclear power is sometimes viewed by the general public as a dangerous or unstable process. This perception is often based on three global nuclear accidents, its false association with nuclear weapons, and how it is portrayed on popular television shows and films.

The U. Please also see the piece Nuclear Energy is not a Climate Solution. Anspaugh, Gilbert W. Drozdovitch, Vera Garber, Yuri I. Gavrilin, Valeri T. Khrouch, Arthur V.

Kuvshinnikov, Yuri N. Kuzmenkov, Victor P. Minenko, Konstantin V. Moschik, Alexander S. Nalivko, Jacob Robbins, Elena V. Shemiakina, Sergei Shinkarev, Svetlana I.

Tochitskaya, Myron A. Waclawiw, and Andre Bouville. Leukemia in the proximity of a boiling-water nuclear reactor: Evidence of population exposure by chromosome studies and environmental radioactivity. Environmental Health Perspectives : World Nuclear Industry, July Our Skip the Slip campaign tackles the unnecessary environmental waste and toxins used in thermal paper receipts.

Green America's website is sponsored by Green America members and. Nuclear waste: The waste generated by nuclear reactors remains radioactive for tens to hundreds of thousands of years 1. Nuclear proliferation: There is great concern that the development of nuclear energy programs increases the likelihood of proliferation of nuclear weapons.

National security Nuclear power plants are a potential target for terrorist operations. Article continues after the video Related News.