Nuclear reactor

- This hot water is then used to spin turbines that are connected to generators, producing
electricity.
- is a device used to initiate and control a self-sustained nuclear chain reaction. Nuclear
reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine
propulsion.
- The reactor is the heat source for the power plant, just like the boiler is for a coal plant.
Uranium is the dominant nuclear fuel used in nuclear reactors, and its fission reactions
are what produce the heat within a reactor. This heat is then transferred to the reactor's
coolant, which provides heat to other parts of the nuclear power plant.
Steam Generator
- They are heat exchangers where the heat produced in the reactor core is transferred to the
secondary side, the steam system, of the nuclear power plant.
- Their other important function is to provide the barrier between the reactor coolant
- Thus, there are two functional requirements placed on the steam generators. The first is to
act as a heat sink for the reactor core to prevent any core damage. The second functional
requirement is to generate the flow rate of steam from the feedwater supply at the temperature,
pressure and enthalpy conditions necessary to efficiently drive the steam turbine/electric
generating system.
Turbine and Generator
- . The rotation of the turbines is used to spin an electric generator, which produces
electricity that is sent out the electrical grid.
- A steam turbine is a device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and
uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft.
- Electrical Generator is a device that converts motive power (mechanical energy)
into electrical power for use in an external circuit.
Cooling Towers
- Hot water cools in contact with the air and a small portion, evaporates and raises up
through the top.
- Cooling towers are a special type of heat exchanger that allows water and air to come in
contact with each other to lower the temperature of the hot water. During this process,
small volumes of water evaporate, lowering the temperature of the water that’s being
circulated throughout the cooling tower. In a short summary, a cooling tower cools down
water that gets over heated by industrial equipment and processes.
- When the air and water come together, a small volume of water evaporates, creating an
action of cooling. The colder water gets pumped back to the process/equipment that
absorbs heat or the condenser. It repeats the loop over and over again to constantly cool
down the heated equipment or condensers.