How Nuclear Power Works

You don’t have to be a nuclear physicist to understand how nuclear power works. The basic principles of a nuclear power plant are pretty easy to understand really.

The words ‘nuclear power’ is very emotive and conjures up all sorts of images in our heads. Great concrete towers belching with steam, radioactive mushrooms rising high into the sky, or even Homer Simpson sleeping off his donuts at the control panel. Nuclear power and splitting atoms have been at the center of sci fi movies for generations, but there have also been some real life tragedies which, of course, make everybody pretty nervous about the whole concept of nuclear power – remember Chernobyl, or a bit closer to home, Three Mile Island? Sure you do. Although there were no injuries or deaths to workers or members of the community close by, it was certainly a wake up call and thankfully changed some of the fundamental working and safety policies for the whole industry.

Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear power plants don’t really operate that much differently from coal-burning power plants. Interesting fact alert – try to get your head round this one – one single pound of uranium can create as much energy as 3,000,000 (yes, that’s three million) pounds of coal.

Both types of plants (nuclear and coal burning) produce energy to heat water, and the steam created drives a generator to produce the electricity. It’s just the way that the energy is produced which is a little different.

Nuclear Power Atoms

Atoms are like tiny individual solar systems, with the nucleus at the center, and electrons orbiting around it. The nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons – with me so far? – good. The nucleus of an atom is held together very tightly, uranium, being pretty heavy, has 92 protons – somebody must have had a strong microscope, wonder how many times they lost count before they managed to agree on a number? Anyway, when a nucleus is bombarded with a neutron it can split the atom apart, this is called fission, and the neutrons which become free crash into other atoms, and on it goes.

  1. Atom just mooching around, minding its own business
  2. Neutron collides with atom and atom is split
  3. Newly released neutrons collide with neighboring atoms
  4. Newly released neutrons collide with neighboring atoms
  5. Ditto
  6. Ditto
  7. Get the picture? A bit like a bar brawl really. It’s in the middle of a chain reaction…….
  8. The fission (all that crashing and splitting) releases energy which heats up the water
  9. The hot water spins turbines
  10. The turbines are connected to the generators
  11. The generators produce electricity

So there you have it, how nuclear power works in a nutshell, or in a nuclear power plant actually.