How a Nuclear Power Plant Works

This atomic reaction is the Steam turns a steam turbine, which in turn spins an electric generator, and presto, electricity.

rods being lowered into the water

to create the heat and then steam.

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The Nuts and Bolts

· Using enriched uranium pellets are formed into the size of dimes except an inch or longer.

· The pellet are then formed into long rods and gathered into bundles

· The bundles of rods then get submerged into water inside a pressure vessel. The water acts as a coolant to keep the uranium form melting.

· Using control rods an operator can control the heat and rate of nuclear reaction.

· To produce heat the operator raises the control rod out from the uranium bundles.

· To produce less heat the operator lowers the control rod into the uranium bundles.

As shown in fig. 1 the bundle of uranium rods acts as a heat source in which the water is turned into steam. It is the steam, which spins a steam turbine, which in turn spines a generator to produce the power.