Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear Power Plant

application of radioactivity

Nuclear Power Plant

harnessing energy from fission reaction for power generation

Commonly used isotopes

235U (Uranium-235) , from Uranium ore 233U (Uranium-233) 239Pu (Plutonium-239)

Uranium-235 Fission

235U + neutron → fission products + energy + 2.43 neutrons

Uranium-238 Fission

do not split on absorbing a neutron

Uranium-238 Fission

undergoes spontaneous decay to yield fissile isotopes

Thorium-232 Fission

Thorium-233 decays quickly (1/2 life = 22 minutes) to protactinium-233

Uranium Ore

primary raw material

Uranium Ore

99.27% 238U, 0.72% 235U

Mining

physical mining on a larger scale, uranium ore ( contains 2 kg U3O8 per ton) is then shipped to mill for purification

Milling

extraction to produce the impure triuranyloctoxide (U3O8) or yellow cake that is conveyed to the conversion plant for refining conversion

Refining and Conversion

extreme purification and further concentration

Isotope Enrichment

extreme purification and further concentration, increase concentration by gas diffusion, gas centrifugation or molecular laser isotope separation

Fuel Fabrication

enriched uranium hexafluoride is converted into Uranium dioxide (UO2 ) powder by Ammonium Diuranate process

Nuclear Reactor

devices that contain fissionable material in sufficient quantity

Nuclear Reactor

arranged to be capable of maintaining a controlled, selfsustaining nuclear fission chain reaction

Control Rods

made of a material that absorbs neutrons ▪ inserted into the bundle using a mechanism that can rise or lower the control rods ▪ contains neutrons absorbers (Boron, Cadmium)

Steam Generators

heat exchangers used to convert water into steam from heat produced in a nuclear reactor core

Steam Turbine

mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into useful mechanical energy

Coolant Pump

pressurizes the coolant to pressures of the order of 155 bar.

Condenser

device or unit which is used to condense vapor into liquid

Feed Pump

to recirculate the condensed steam for the next cycle of operation

Cooling Tower

heat removal devices used to transfer process waste heat to the atmosphere

Cooling Tower

water circulating through the condenser is taken to the cooling tower for cooling and reuse

Advantanges of NPP

Clean

Plentiful Supply

High Energy Content in Uranium

Energy Savings in Transportation

Operating cost is low after construction

Disadvantanges of NPP

Construction costs

Radioactive waste by-product

Storage

Public perception