How a Nuclear Power Plant Works

Nuclear power plants run on uranium fuel. Uranium atoms split—or fission, producing energy that is converted to heat. The heat boils water, creating steam. The steam turns a turbine, which spins the shaft of a generator. Inside the generator, coils of wire spin in a magnetic field and electricity is produced.

Two types of nuclear power plants are used in the United States: the boiling water reactor and the pressurized water reactor.

Boiling Water Reactor

Pressurized Water Reactor

Animation courtesy of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Students' Corner:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/students.html

Nuclear Energy Institute—Washington, DC
August 2000