GCSE Nuclear Power

Nuclear power

1.Nuclear Reactor

2. Fuel rod

3. Control rod 

4. Heat exchanger

5.Steam turbine

6. Generator

7. Concrete shield

8. Cool water entering reactor

9. Steam leaving reactor and entering heat exchanger

10. Cooler water leaving steam turbine and  entering heat exchanger.

11. Steam leaving heat exchanger and entering steam turbine

Nuclear fission occurs in the reactor, causing nuclear energy store in the atoms of the fuel rods to be transferred by heating to the thermal energy store of  water that enters the reactor. Water in the reactor gains thermal energy and becomes steam, entering the heat exchanger.

In the heat exchanger the steam that has entered from the reactor will transfer energy by heating from its thermal energy store to the thermal energy store of water in the pipe. Water in the pipe gains thermal energy and forms steam.

Steam in the pipe enters the steam turbine and transfers its thermal energy store to the kinetic energy store of the turbine mechanically, causing the turbine blades to rotate.

The kinetic energy store of turbine blades is transferred mechanically to the kinetic energy store of the generator to produce electricity.

The electricity can be used for:

Heating of homes with electric heaters

Transportation (electric vehicles)

Electrical appliances