Atomic Engine

How we split atoms to turn wheels: The Engineering of Nuclear Power

Physics Engineering

The "Fancy" Steam Engine

Stripped to its basics, a nuclear power plant is just a way to boil water.

The Process:

SYSTEM OVERVIEW: PWR-TYPE

Sealed metal tubes containing ceramic Uranium-235 pellets. This is where the fission happens.

Material (usually water) that slows down neutrons so they are more likely to cause further fission.

Materials like boron or cadmium that absorb neutrons to speed up or slow down the reaction.

"Engineering is about balancing these three components to maintain a steady state."

Radioactive water stays in the reactor core at extreme pressure so it doesn't boil.

Heat is transferred; water boils into steam to spin the turbine. Never touches the core.

Cold water from a river or lake condenses the steam back into liquid water.

[Insert Reactor Schematic Diagram]

Critical Design Feature: Isolation

The water that touches the radiation never leaves the building.

Nuclear

Thermal

Mechanical

Electrical

Total efficiency is typically around 33-35%.