Also in Oil and petroleum products explained Oil and petroleum products Refining crude oil Where our oil comes from Imports and exports Offshore oil and gas Use of oil Prices and outlook Oil and the environment. Also in Gasoline explained Gasoline Octane in depth Where our gasoline comes from Use of gasoline Prices and outlook Factors affecting gasoline prices Regional price differences Price fluctuations History of gasoline Gasoline and the environment.
Also in Diesel fuel explained Diesel fuel Where our diesel comes from Use of diesel Prices and outlook Factors affecting diesel prices Diesel fuel surcharges Diesel and the environment. Also in Heating oil explained Heating oil Where our heating oil comes from Use of heating oil Prices and outlook Factors affecting heating oil prices. Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids. Natural gas. Also in Hydrocarbon gas liquids explained Hydrocarbon gas liquids Where do hydrocarbon gas liquids come from?
Transporting and storing Uses of hydrocarbon gas liquids Imports and exports Prices. Also in Natural gas explained Natural gas Delivery and storage Natural gas pipelines Liquefied natural gas Where our natural gas comes from Imports and exports How much gas is left Use of natural gas Prices Factors affecting natural gas prices Natural gas and the environment Customer choice programs.
Also in Coal explained Coal Mining and transportation Where our coal comes from Imports and exports How much coal is left Use of coal Prices and outlook Coal and the environment. Renewable sources. Renewable energy.
Biofuels: Ethanol and Biomass-based diesel. Also in Hydropower explained Hydropower Where hydropower is generated Hydropower and the environment Tidal power Wave power Ocean thermal energy conversion. Also in Biofuels explained Biofuels Ethanol Use and supply of ethanol Ethanol and the environment Biomass-based diesel fuels Use of biomass-based diesel fuel Biomass-based diesel and the environment. Also in Wind explained Wind Electricity generation from wind Where wind power is harnessed Types of wind turbines History of wind power Wind energy and the environment.
Enriched uranium is the fuel for nuclear reactors. Uranium is an abundant, naturally radioactive element found in most rocks. A similar process generates heat inside a nuclear reactor. Inside each uranium fuel pellet, there are millions of uranium nuclei. When these nuclei are split, a huge amount of energy is released.
Some of this energy is from radiation, but the biggest source is kinetic energy. This is the energy that produces heat inside a reactor, which in turn is used to generate steam, and ultimately creates electricity.
For more than 60 years, nuclear energy has provided the world with reliable electricity. Today, more than reactors are operating in more than 30 countries. More nations are exploring the use of nuclear energy, particularly as electricity demand increases and concerns about climate change rise. International Atomic Energy Agency. However, unlike many industries, nuclear power generates very little of it — and fully contains and manages what it does produce.
The vast majority of the waste from nuclear power plants is not very radioactive and for many decades has been responsibly managed and disposed of. The used fuel which comes out of the reactor can be managed in different ways, including recycling for energy production or direct disposal. As a matter of fact, many countries have been using recycled fuel for decades to partially fuel their reactors.
How does a nuclear reactor work? A reactor being refuelled Image: Vattenfall What fuels a reactor? Nuclear fuel pellets are not much larger than a sugar cube Image: Kazatomprom How about the waste? Water is pumped up through the reactor core and heated by fission. Pipes then feed the steam directly to a turbine to produce electricity. Nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant. Nuclear Fission Creates Heat The main job of a reactor is to house and control nuclear fission —a process where atoms split and release energy.
Fission and Fusion: What is the Difference? There are two types of light-water reactors operating in America. Pressurized water reactors. Graphic by Sarah Harman U.
0コメント