Nuclear energy advantages and disadvantages

Reactors use uranium for nuclear fuel. The uranium is processed into small ceramic pellets and stacked together into sealed metal tubes called fuel rods. Typically, more than 200 of these rods are bundled together to form a fuel assembly.

Disadvantages of nuclear energy

A reactor core is typically made up of a couple hundred assemblies, depending on power level. 

Inside the reactor vessel, the fuel rods are immersed in water which acts as both a coolant and moderator. The moderator helps slow down the neutrons produced by fission to sustain the chain reaction.

Control rods can then be inserted into the reactor core to reduce the reaction rate or withdrawn to increase it.

The heat created by fission turns the water into steam, which spins a turbine to produce carbon-free electricity.

Types of Light-water Reactors in the United States       

All commercial nuclear reactors in the United States are light-water reactors.

This means they use normal water as both a coolant and neutron moderator.

There are two types of light-water reactors operating in America.

Pressurized

how nuclear energy is created

diagram of how nuclear energy is made