Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Nuclear power definition is - energy that is created by splitting apart the nuclei of atoms. Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Learn more. nuclear power. Light water reactor (LWR): A common nuclear reactor cooled and usually moderated by ordinary water. nuclear power. Countries may have a number of motives for deploying nuclear power plants, including a lack of indigenous energy resources, a desire for energy independence, and a goal to limit greenhouse gas emissions by using a carbon-free source of electricity. Nuclear power, electricity generated by power plants that derive their heat from fission in a nuclear reactor. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. ‘Nuclear energy is a way of creating heat through the fission process of atoms.’ ‘Nuclear energy from uranium is released in the two fission fragments.’ ‘Nuclear energy remains an attractive potential means of propulsion for future spacecraft.’ Except for the reactor, which plays the role of a boiler in a fossil-fuel power plant, a nuclear power plant is similar to a large coal-fired power plant, with pumps, valves, steam generators, turbines, electric generators, condensers, and associated equipment. Newer Generation III designs, on the other hand, incorporate improved safety systems and rely more on so-called passive safety designs (i.e., directing cooling water by gravity rather than moving it by pumps) in order to keep the plants safe in the event of a severe accident or station blackout. Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat, which most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power plant. Learn a new word every day. A typical nuclear power plant has a generating capacity of approximately one gigawatt (GW; one billion watts) of electricity. B2. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Nuclear energy Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Nuclear force Nuclear fuel Nuclear Material Management and Safeguards System (NMMSS) Nuclear materials Nuclear poison (or neutron poison) Nuclear power plant Nuclear Radiological Incident Annex Nuclear reactor Nuclear steam supply system Nuclear waste Nucleon Nucleus Nuclide The predominant types of power reactors are pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and boiling water reactors (BWRs), both of which are categorized as light water reactors (LWRs) because they use ordinary (light) water as a moderator and coolant. The energy that holds together the nucleus of an atom is called nuclear, or atomic, energy. UsageThe words nuclearand atomicmean the same thing when referring to weapons or to the making of power: We say nuclear(or atomic) weaponsand nuclear(or atomic) energy. Nuclearis used to refer to the nucleus of an atom, where the protons and neutrons are located. Nuclear decay processes are used in niche applications such as radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Nuclear power plant An electrical generating facility using a nuclear reactoras its heat source to provide steam to a turbine generator. Except for the reactor, which plays the role of a boiler in a fossil-fuel power plant, a nuclear power plant is similar to a large coal-fired power plant, with pumps, valves, steam generators, turbines, electric generators, condensers, and associated equipment. Availability of cheap and reliable nuclear power may stifle use of other forms of power, particularly if it is perceived as less polluting. electrical or motive, produced by a nuclear reactor, (Also called) atomic power. The benefits of applying nuclear power to these needs are substantial, but they are tempered by a number of issues that need to be considered, including the safety of nuclear reactors, their cost, the disposal of radioactive waste, and a potential for the nuclear fuel cycle to be diverted to the development of nuclear weapons. As is typical in all conventional thermal power stations the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity. Active and passive safety systems are incorporated into the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) as well. The dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, by the United States in 1945 initiated the atomic age. Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. nuclear fuel to the material that is used to generate the nuclear reactions energy, electrical power, nuclear power, solar power, steam power, water power 2 A country that has nuclear weapons. For instance, in the Westinghouse AP1000 design, residual heat would be removed from the reactor by water circulating under the influence of gravity from reservoirs located inside the reactor’s containment structure. The United States has the largest nuclear power industry, with more than 100 reactors; it is followed by France, which has more than 50. The safety of nuclear reactors has become paramount since the Fukushima accident of 2011. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. These reactions take place within a reactor. Delivered to your inbox! Nuclear energy provides power 24/7 without a trace of those pollutants. Nuclear power is generated by splitting atoms to release the energy held at the core, or nucleus, of those atoms. Main purpose is to provide knowledge base not only for experienced. Nuclear is getting smaller … and it’s opening up some big opportunities for the industry. One method of releasing nuclear energy is by controlled nuclear fission, used in nuclear power plants around the world. Nuclear power is power released in nuclear reactions that can be converted to electric power. n a process in which the structure and energy content of an atomic nucleus is changed by interaction with another nucleus or particle. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Nuclear boosts international development. Nuclear power is power released in nuclear reactions that can be converted to electric power. Nuclear energy is energy in 'fissionable' elements like uranium that can be released by nuclear reactions in a machine called a nuclear reactor. Nuclear power is a clean and efficient way of boiling water to make steam, which turns turbines to produce electricity. That percentage remained stable through the 1990s and began to decline slowly around the turn of the 21st century, primarily because of the fact that total electricity generation grew faster than electricity from nuclear power while other sources of energy (particularly coal and natural gas) were able to grow more quickly to meet the rising demand. the nuclear industry. Low-enriched uranium (LEU): Uranium enriched to less than 20% U-235. This process, nuclear fission, generates heat that is directed to a … A nuclear power plant is a type of power station that generates electricity using heat from nuclear reactions.These reactions take place within a reactor.The plant also has machines which remove heat from the reactor to operate a steam turbine and generator to make electricity. Another method, controlled nuclear … American Heritage® Dictionary of the … It is used to create electricity for many households across the world, and can even be used to create bombs! How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Do you know these earlier meanings of words? In its broadest sense, the term refers both to the uncontrolled release of energy, as in fission or fusion weapons, and to the controlled release of energy, as in a nuclear power plant. This site focuses on nuclear power plants and nuclear energy. ‘the confrontation between the two nuclear powers worsened’ What is Nuclear Power. The nucleus is the central part of an atom. n. 1. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. Availability of cheap and reliable nuclear power may stifle use of other forms of power, particularly if … Traditionally, enhanced safety systems have resulted in higher construction costs, but passive safety designs, by requiring the installation of far fewer pumps, valves, and associated piping, may actually yield a cost saving. Page Last Reviewed/Updated Monday, August 24, 2020 Updates? A handful of microreactor designs are under development in the United States, and they could be ready to roll out within the next decade. The lessons learned from that disaster included the need to (1) adopt risk-informed regulation, (2) strengthen management systems so that decisions made in the event of a severe accident are based on safety and not cost or political repercussions, (3) periodically assess new information on risks posed by natural hazards such as earthquakes and associated tsunamis, and (4) take steps to mitigate the possible consequences of a station blackout. Nuclear power is the controlled use of nuclear energy. The overwhelming majority of nuclear reactor generating capacity is concentrated in North America, Europe, and Asia. n power, esp. Of the top 15 electricity-producing countries in the world, all but two, Italy and Australia, utilize nuclear power to generate some of their electricity. Nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and mercury: all things you don’t want in the air you breathe. But in most scientific uses nuclearand atomicmean different things. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). nuclear power definition: 1. the power produced when the nucleus (= central part) of an atom is divided or joined to another…. The first nuclear power plants, which were small demonstration facilities, were built in the 1960s. Power, especially electricity, the source of which is nuclear fission. The nuclear reactor is responsible for generating fission chain reactions. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Nuclear power plants use low-enriched uranium fuel to produce electricity through a process called fission—the splitting of uranium atoms in a nuclear reactor. Accessed 23 Jan. 2021. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'. Nuclear energy is a very powerful type of energy. These prototypes provided “proof-of-concept” and laid the groundwork for the development of the higher-power reactors that followed. Schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant using a pressurized-water reactor. Nuclear power Nuclear power is any method of doing work that makes use of nuclear fission or fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium. 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