Nuclear Plant

Introduction
Nuclear power plant is also known as the thermal power station in which the source of the heat
is generated from the reactor vessel. A reactor vessel is a type of furnace in which energy is
generated by a controlled-fission chain reaction and it consists of fuel element, control rods
and a neutron moderator. Besides, it is also a closed system, the amount of mass is fixed and
only the energy can be transferred in and out of the wall. There are a few types of nuclear
reactors, the boiling water reactor, pressurized water reactor and liquid-metal fast-breeder
reactor. The most commonly used in the world is pressurized water reactor (PWR) as shown in
Figure 1.

Page 1 of 17

Figure 1 shows a pressurized water reactor (PWR)

Carnot Cycle
Carnot heat cycle is an idealized power production process and can be applied in the
pressurized nuclear reactor. Four reversible processes for an idealized pressurized water
reactor (Figure 2):
1.
2.
3.
4.

Isothermal heat addition at the absolute temperature T1, from point 1 to point 2.
Isothermal heat rejection at the absolute temperature T0, from point 3 to 4.
Isentropic (reversible adiabatic) expansion in the turbine from point 2 to 4.
Isentropic (reversible adiabatic) compression in the pump from point 4 to 1.

Figure 2 shows the cycle of the nuclear plant

In the nuclear reactor, the fuel elements are usually shaped in thin rods of about 1cm in
diameter and contain fissionable nuclei. Uranium

235
92

is a common reactor fuel. In a large

power there may be thousands of fuel elements placed close together, and the entire region of
fuel elements is known as reactor core.

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Pressurized water
Water flows through the reactor vessel, where the chain reaction heats it to around

300 .

The water needs to stay in liquid for the power station to work so the water has to be prevent
from boiling which occurs at

100

at 1 atmosphere of pressure, the water is pressurized

in the excess of 150 atmospheres so that the boiling point of the water can be increased.
According to the ideal gas law, the formula is,
PV =nRT

Since the volume of the nuclear reactor is remain constant throughout the process,
P nR
= =constant
T V
When the pressure of a fixed mass of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature
and the volume of the gas is kept constant, this is called the Gay- Lussacs law.
By using the formula of Gay- Lussacs law, the boiling point of the pressurized water can be
determined.
P1 P2
=
T1 T 2

( 1 105 ) Pa
(100+273)K

( 1.5 105 ) Pa
( T +273 ) K

( T +273 )=559.5
T =286.5

Since it is more than 1.5 atmospheres, the boiling point must be more than 286.5 .
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Coolant and moderator

Water is used as the coolant due to its high heat capacity and specific heat capacity, so it can
absorb more heat generated by the nuclear reaction. Besides, it also used as a neutron
moderator. A neutron moderator is a medium that reduces the speed of fast neutrons . Neutrons
release from nuclear fission in the nuclear vessel have very high speeds and must be slowed
greatly by water "moderation" to maintain the chain reaction.

Lost neutron

Lost neutron

Lost neutron

Figure 3 chain reaction in the nuclear vessel

If output power of a reactor is to remain constant, only one neutron from each fission event
must trigger a new fission, as shown in Figure 3. When each fission leads to one additional
fission (no more or less) the reactor said to be critical. A reactor normally operates in critical
condition, because it then produces a steady output of energy. The critical condition can be

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controlled by moving the control rods into and out of the reactor core. The control rods contain
element that can absorb the excess neutron.

Nuclear fission in the nuclear vessel.

Nuclear fission is the splitting of a massive nucleus into two less massive fragments. During
this process, a great deal of energy is released in the form of heat energy. In the nuclear vessel,
a heavy atomic nucleus of Uranium-235 is split into two fragments of roughly equal mass as
shown as Figure 4.

Figure 4 shows the equation of nuclear fission of Uranium-235

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Besides, the fact that the Uranium fission reaction releases 2.5 neutron, on the average, makes
it possible for a self-sustaining series of fissions to occur and since the reaction is controlled
by moving the control rods into and out of the reactor core, the number of neutron left to
collide and react with another nucleus is reduced to one in order to obtain the critical
condition. Seeing that there is one neutron left, the reaction will be continued and this is called
the nuclear chain reaction (Refer to Figure 3). Nuclear chain reactions is a chain reaction that
process in which neutrons released in fission produce an additional fission in at least one
further nucleus. This nucleus in turn produces neutrons, and the process repeats. Furthermore,
the estimation of energy released during nuclear fission has been calculated as shown below.

Figure 5 shows the binding energy per nucleon graph

The graph above shows that the binding energy of a Uranium nucleus with A = 235 is about
7.6 MeV per nucleon. Binding energy is the energy required to break the nucleus apart.
Binding energy can be calculated by using the following formula:
Binding Energy , Eb= mc 2
Eb =( m 1m 2 ) c2
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Where,
m is the mass defect of the nucleus

m1 is the mass of neutrons and protons

m2 is the mass of nucleus
c

8
is the speed of light in the vacuum 2.99792458 10

The Uranium nucleus has 92 protons, 143 neutrons, and has an observed mass of 235.0439299
u.

1.00727647
1.00866492

m1=( mass of proton+ mass of neutron )

m1=( 92 1.00727647 u ) + ( 143 1.00866492u )

m1=236.9085188 u
m=m1m2

m=236.9085188 u235.0439299u

m=( 1.8645889 ( 1.66 1027 ) ) kg

m=1.8645889 u

m=3.096222181 1027 kg

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Eb =( 3.09622218110

Eb ( 2.86 1010 J )

27

) ( 2.99792458 108 )

Eb 2.86 1010 J

1 eV
1.78 GeV
1.6022 1019 J

Then, finding the binding energy per nucleon,

Binding energy per nucleon=

( 1.78 109 )
235

7.6 MeV per nucleon

In the fission product nuclei, the medium binding energy per nucleon amounts to
approximately 8.5 MeV. The product nuclei are as shown as in Figure 4. Calculations below
show the binding energy of Cesium- 140 and Rubidium- 93.
The Cesium nucleus has 55 protons, 85 neutrons, and has an observed mass of 139.91728235
u
.

m1=( mass of proton+ mass of neutron )

m1=( 55 1.00727647 u ) + ( 85 1.00866492 u )

m1=141.1367241u
m=m1m2

m=141.1367241 u139.91728235 u

m=( 1.2194417 ( 1.66 1027 ) ) kg

m=2.024273222 1027 kg
2

Eb =( 2.0242732221027 ) ( 2.99792458 108 )

Eb ( 1.82 1010 J )

m=1.2194417 u

Eb 1.82 1010 J

1 eV
1.14 GeV
1.60221019 J

Then, finding the binding energy per nucleon,

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Binding energy per nucleon=

( 1.14 10 9 )
140

8.14 MeV per nucleon

The Rubidium nucleus has 37 protons, 56 neutrons, and has an observed mass of 92.92204188
u.
m1=( mass of proton+ mass of neutron )

m1=( 37 1.00727647 u ) + ( 56 1.00866492 u )

m1=93.75446491u
m=m1m2

m=93.75446491u92.92204188u

m=( 0.83242303 ( 1.66 1027 ) ) kg

27

Eb =( 1.38182223 10

Eb ( 1.24 1010 J )

m=0.83242303u

m=1.38182223 1027 kg

) ( 2.99792458 108 )

Eb 1.24 1010 J

( 1.60221 eV10 J ) 0.77 GeV

19

Then, finding the binding energy per nucleon,

Binding energy per nucleon=

( 0.77 10 9 )
93

8.28 MeV per nucleon

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These product nuclei have the binding energy per nucleon amounts to approximately 8.5 MeV
per nucleon.

Then, this difference in binding energy of 0.9 MeV per nucleon is released in the nuclear
fission.
8.5 MeV per nucleon7.6 MeV per nucleon=0.9 MeV per nucleon

Since the uranium nucleus has 235 nucleons, a quantity of energy of about 200 MeV is
released per fission.
total energy released per fission=( 0.9 MeV per nucleon ) ( 235 nucleons )
total energy released per fission=211.5 MeV

total energy released per fission 210 MeV

Because the 10 MeV of neutrino energy is not absorbed in the reactor, the average value of
200 MeV per fission is still accurate.
The energy released of the nuclear fission is made up of the following partial amounts:
-

Instantaneous energy from the fission

Kinetic energy of fission products 167 MeV

Kinetic energy of fission neutrons 5 MeV

Capture Gamma-ray Energy 10 MeV

Energy of the gamma radiation occurring during the fission 5 MeV

Delayed energy from the fission

Energy of the neutrinos 10 MeV.

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Beta Particles From Fission Products 7 MeV

Gamma-rays from Fission Products 6 MeV

Estimation of Decay Energy

In addition to this instantaneous energy release during the actual fission reaction, there is
additional energy released when the fission fragments decay by

This additional energy is called decay energy,

Deca y
E

emission (

decay).

. The decay energy is the delayed

energy from the fission. The decay chains for Cesium- 140 and Rubidium- 93 are respectively
shown below.
By using the formula,
A
Z

P = Z D +1e

Where,
P is the parent nucleus
D is the daughter nucleus
A is the nucleon number
Z is the proton number
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For Cesium- 140

140
58

140
57

140
56

140
55

Ce

La

Ba

Cs

For Rubidium- 93
93
41 Nb

93
40

93
39

93
38

93
37

Zr

Sr

Rb

The energy released during the decay for each chain will be equivalent to the mass difference
between the original fission product and the sum of the final stable nuclide and the beta
particles emitted.

The energy released in the decay chain of Cesium- 140 is calculated below.

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E Decay =[ mCs140 ( mCe140 + 3 melectron ) ]

( 931.5uMeV )

E Decay = 139.917282354 u( 139.905438706 u+3 ( 0.00054858u ) )

E Decay =( 0.010197908 u )

( 931.5uMeV )

( 931.5uMeV )]

E Decay =9.50 MeV

The energy released in the decay chain of Rubidium- 93 is calculated below.

E Decay =[ mRb 93 ( mNb93+ 4 melectron ) ]

( 931.5uMeV )

E Decay = 92.922041876 u( 92.906378058 u+4 ( 0.00054858u ) )

E Decay =( 0.013469498 u )

( 931.5uMeV )

( 931.5uMeV )]

E Decay =12.55 MeV

The total decay energy is the sum of the energies of the two chains is approximately 23 MeV.
With the exception of the neutrino energy all of the energy released is ultimately transformed
into heat by undergoing different stages of processes. The fission fragments have positive
charge and kinetic energy, thus causing ionization directly as they rip orbital electrons from
the surrounding atoms. In this ionization process, temperature increases because kinetic energy
is transferred to the surrounding atoms of the fuel material. The beta particles and gamma rays
also release their energy through ionization, and the fission neutrons interact and lose their
energy through elastic scattering. Of the 200 MeV released per fission, about seven percent
(13 MeV) is released at a point after the instant of fission. Fission cease when a reactor is shut
down, but the decay of fission products are still releasing energy. This process produces heat,
and is called "decay heat." Although decay energy takes up about seven percent of reactor heat
production during reactor operation, once the reactor is shut down the decay heat production
Page 13 of 17

reduces quickly to a small fraction of its value while operating. The decay heat produced is
significant, however, systems must be provided to keep the reactor cool even after shutdown.
Conservation Of Energy in Nuclear Vessels
This nuclear fission process obeys the conservation laws of physics. First, the conservation of
energy and mass, since the sum of mass and energy is always conserved in a nuclear reaction.
Even though mass changes to energy, the total amount of mass and energy combined remains
the same. Next, conservation of linear momentum, since this quantity must be conserved in all
inertial frames of reference. Moreover, conservation of angular momentum, since the total
angular momentum of the reacting particles must always be conserved. Furthermore,
conservation of electric charge, since the number of elementary positive and negative charges
in the reactants are the same as in the products. Lastly, conservation of nucleon number, since
the sum of protons and neutrons among species before and after the nuclear reaction are the
same.

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Conclusion
After explaining on how the heat is generated, the explanation on how electricity is generated
will be continued. First, the reactor coolant pump circulates the hot pressurized water from the
reactor vessel to the steam generator. Here, the water flows through thousands of looped pipes
before circulating back to the reactor vessel. A second stream of water flows through the steam
generator, around the outside of the pipes. This water is under much less pressure, so the heat
from the pipes boils it into steam. The steam then passes through a series of turbines, causing
them to spin, converting the heat energy produced in the reactor into mechanical energy. A
shaft connects the turbines to a generator, so when the turbines spin, so does the generator. The
generator uses an electromagnetic field to convert this mechanical energy into electrical
energy. A transformer converts the electrical energy from the generator to a high voltage. The
national grid uses high voltages to transmit electricity efficiently through the power lines to
the homes and businesses that need it. Here, other transformers reduce the voltage back down
to a usable level. After passing through the turbines, the steam comes into contact with pipes
full of cold water pumped in from the sea. Eventually, the cold pipes cool the steam so that it
condenses back into water. It is then piped back to the steam generator, where it can be heated
up again, turn into steam again, and keep the turbines turning.

Page 15 of 17

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