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Within the reactor, uranium fuel begins to decay and gives off a tremendous amount of heat. The heat is used to produce steam, which is then passed through a turbine-generator set to produce power. The reactor is encased in thick concrete designed to protect and contain the reaction process. The heat creates steam and after this point the generation of electricity is similar to coal-fired electricity generation.
Reactor types
Existing nuclear power plants produce large amounts of power in the range of 500 to 1600 MW. The larger reactors are more compatible with larger grid sizes and require large amounts of capital investment to install with projects lasting anywhere from 8 to 10 years.
New reactor technologies are currently being developed for smaller grid and more remote operation applications. These new designs, some times called Generation IV or Advance Reactors, can be as small as a 20 MW or as large as 300 MW. The reactors are standard designs that will enable the reactor to be mass produced. Purchasers will take advantage of cost reductions in assembly line production. The reactors will be quicker to install and are expected to require less capital investment than the larger reactors. However, approval by the regulators in North America is still a few years away.
