1.1 Generating electricity by nuclear power plants

Basically, nuclear power plants work in the same way as coal — and gas-fired plants, converting heat to electricity. Whereas fossil-fuel-fired power plants run on energy media such as oil, lignite or hard coal, nuclear power plants use the heat given off when atomic nuclei split.

Figure 2.1 shows how a nuclear power plant works (in this case, a pressurised water reactor, cf. Section 2.4.2) and shows the whole energy conversion process. Nuclear fission inside the reactor pressure vessel generates heat, which heats water until it vaporises, turning thermal energy into latent energy in steam. This steam, which is under high pressure, then drives the turbines (converting to mechanical energy), which turn the generators connected to them, generating electrical energy, like a bicycle dynamo. Condensing the steam required to drive the turbines is done either by direct flow or seawater cooling or via a cooling system using a cooling tower.