Nuclear Power

Nuclear power plants differ from each other primarily in the methods they use for transferring heat produced in the reactor to the electricity generating unit. Perhaps the simplest design of all is the boiling water reactor plant (BWR), in which coolant water surrounding the reactor is allowed to boil and form steam. This steam is then piped directly to turbines, which produce rotary mechanical power that turns electrical generators. A very different type of plant is one that was popular in Great Britain for many years; this design that carbon dioxide as a coolant. In this type of plant, carbon dioxide gas passes through the reactor core, absorbs heat produced by fission reactions, and is piped into a secondary system where it gives up some of its energy to water, which begins to boil. This steam is then used to power a turbine and generator.