It also releases energy in the form of heat. The released neutrons can then repeat the process. This releases even more neutrons and more nuclear energy. The repeating of the process is called a chain reaction. In a nuclear power plant, uranium is the material used in the fission process. The heat from fission boils […]
Nuclear power plants generate two types of waste: high-level and low-level. High-level waste includes the fuel that was used in the nuclear reactor, called “spent fuel.” It is highly radioactive and very dangerous. It must be cooled for several years in deep pools inside the plant, after which it can be transferred to special casks, […]
Nuclear power plants are licensed by the NRC for 40 years. After that, they can ask to renew their license, or they can shut down the plant and decommission it. Decommissioning means shutting down the plant and taking steps to reduce the level of radiation so that the land can be used for other things. […]
Nuclear power plants have always had armed guards and other measures to protect the facility from people who didn’t belong there. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, even more security measures were put in place. These measures are very strict because protecting the plant from sabotage or attack is important to protect people […]
All owners of nuclear power plants must have emergency plans. These plans allow workers and people who live near the plants to know how to handle emergencies. Federal, state and local governments work together in case people need to be evacuated or other actions taken to protect local residents. All nuclear power plants practice regular […]
Radiation is naturally present in our environment, but it can also be produced artificially, as a byproduct of the process of creating energy by splitting atoms. This is how nuclear reactors create radioactive materials (known as “byproduct materials”) that can be used to benefit humankind in a surprising number of ways, as described on this […]
In Reactors, Radiation Is Trapped and Contained in Several Ways: Small amounts of radioactivity can be released into the environment but only under controlled and monitored conditions. The only major accident in a nuclear power plant in this country was at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in March 1979. At Three Mile Island, there […]
There are two types of reactors on the world that are most used: The Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Pressurized Water Reactors are known as “PWR”‘s. They keep water under pressure so that it heats but does not boil. Water from the reactor and the water that is turned into steam are in separate pipes and […]