jahangirabad institute of technology

Nuclear power plant

Jahangirabad institute of technology 2

NUCLEAR FUEL

 Nuclear fuel is any material that can be consumed to

derive nuclear energy. The most common type of nuclear
fuel is fissile elements that can be made to undergo
nuclear fission chain reactions in a nuclear reactor
 The most common nuclear fuels are 235U and 239Pu.
Not all nuclear fuels are used in fission chain reactions

Jahangirabad institute of technology 3

Nuclear fission

 When a neutron strikes an atom of uranium, the uranium

splits into two lighter atoms and releases heat
simultaneously.
 Fission of heavy elements is an exothermic reaction which
can release large amounts of energy both as
electromagnetic radiation and as kinetic energy of the
fragments

Jahangirabad institute of technology 4

Nuclear chain reactions

 A chain reaction refers to a process in which neutrons

released in fission produce an additional fission in at least
one further nucleus. This nucleus in turn produces
neutrons, and the process repeats. If the process is
controlled it is used for nuclear power or if uncontrolled it
is used for nuclear weapons

Jahangirabad institute of technology 5

U235 + n → fission + 2 or 3 n + 200 MeV

Jahangirabad institute of technology 6

Continue…

If each neutron releases two more neutrons, then the

number of fissions doubles each generation. In that case,
in 10 generations there are 1,024 fissions and in 80
generations about 6 x 10 23 (a mole) fissions.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 7

 Fig - Schematic diagram of nuclear
power plant.
Jahangirabad institute of technology 8
Nuclear reactor

A nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear chain

reactions are initiated, controlled, and sustained at a steady
rate, as opposed to a nuclear bomb, in which the chain
reaction occurs in a fraction of a second and is
uncontrolled causing an explosion.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 9

CONTROL RODS

 Control rods made of a material that absorbs

neutrtons are inserted into the bundle using a
mechanism that can rise or lower the control rods
 The control rods essentially contain neutron absorbers
like, boron, cadmium or indium.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 10

STEAM GENERATORS

 Steam generators are heat exchangers used to convert

water into steam from heat produced in a nuclear reactor
core.
 Either ordinary water or heavy water is used as the
coolant.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 11

Steam turbine

 A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts

thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it
into useful mechanical
 Various high-performance alloys and super alloys have
been used for steam generator tubing.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 12

Coolant pump

 The coolant pump pressurizes the coolant to pressures of

the order of 155bar.

 The pressure of the coolant loop is maintained almost

constant with the help of the pump and a pressurized unit.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 13

Feed pump

 Steam coming out of the turbine, flows through the

condenser for condensation and re-circulated for the next
cycle of operation.

 The feed pump circulates the condensed water in the

working fluid loop.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 14

Cooling tower

 Cooling towers are heat removal devices used to transfer

process waste heat to the atmosphere.
 Water circulating through the condenser is taken to the
cooling tower for cooling and reuse

Jahangirabad institute of technology 15

Advantages

 Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon

dioxide (CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore the
contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore
relatively little.
 This technology is readily available, it does not have to be developed first.
 It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single
plant

Jahangirabad institute of technology 16

Site selection of nuclear power
plant
The various factors to be considered while selecting the site for
nuclear plant are as follows :
 Availability of water.
 Distance from load center.
 Distance from populated area.
 Accessibility to site.
 Waste disposal.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 17

Hydro-electric plants
Power = W.Q.H.η watts
Hydro projects are developed for the following purposes:
 To control the floods in the rivers.
 Generation of power.
 Storage of irrigation water.
 Storage of the drinking water supply.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 18

Non Conventional Power Plants

Solar power plant:In the solar power plant, solar energy is

used to generate electricity. Sunrays are focused using
concave reflectors on to copper tubes filled with water and
painted black outside.
There are three main types:
 Parabolic-trough systems
 A dish/engine system
 A power tower system

Jahangirabad institute of technology 19

Wind power plant
 the wind has velocity it has kinetic energy.
 This is the energy of the wind.
 We shall see how the kinetic energy of the wind can be used to
produce electricity.
Recent developments: The present windmill technology is
inadequate for the low wind speed regions in the plains.
 Artificial Winds.
 Aeroelectric Plant.

Jahangirabad institute of technology 20