n a process in which the structure and energy content of an atomic nucleus is changed by interaction with another nucleus or particle. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. In 2012 more than 400 nuclear reactors were in operation in 30 countries around the world, and more than 60 were under construction. 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. In 2011 nuclear power provided 10% of the world’s electricity. Another method, controlled nuclear … Nuclear power plant An electrical generating facility using a nuclear reactoras its heat source to provide steam to a turbine generator. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The energy that holds together the nucleus of an atom is called nuclear, or atomic, energy. 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 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.’ 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. Nuclear power is the controlled use of nuclear energy. The nucleus is the central part of an atom. 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 A form of energy produced by an atomic reaction, capable of producing an alternative source of electrical power to that supplied by coal, gas, or oil. In a nuclear power plant, energy is generated from the splitting of the nuclei of uranium atoms. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Main purpose is to provide knowledge base not only for experienced. nuclear power. Nuclear power Nuclear power is any method of doing work that makes use of nuclear fission or fusion reactions. It is used to create electricity for many households across the world, and can even be used to create bombs! This trend appears likely to continue well into the 21st century. Nuclear power is power released in nuclear reactions that can be converted to electric power. ‘the confrontation between the two nuclear powers worsened’ Nuclear power provides almost 15 percent of the world’s electricity. The nuclear power industry went through a period of remarkable growth until about 1990, when the portion of electricity generated by nuclear power reached a high of 17 percent. At this capacity, a power plant that operates about 90 percent of the time (the U.S. industry average) will generate about eight terawatt-hours of electricity per year. Learn a new word every day. nuclear reactor. Page Last Reviewed/Updated Monday, August 24, 2020 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. The United States has the largest nuclear power industry, with more than 100 reactors; it is followed by France, which has more than 50. Learn more. Post the Definition of nuclear power to Facebook, Share the Definition of nuclear power on Twitter, The Difference Between 'Hoard' and 'Horde'. Learn about the use of nuclear power in Finland. 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. Corrections? What made you want to look up nuclear power? 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. The plant also has machines that remove heat from the reactor to operate a steam turbine and generator to make electricity. The dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, by the United States in 1945 initiated the atomic age. 2. Nuclear is getting smaller … and it’s opening up some big opportunities for the industry. Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times. Nuclear boosts international development. Nuclear power, electricity generated by power plants that derive their heat from fission in a nuclear reactor. the nuclear industry. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. 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 Nuclear protects our air. The nuclear reactor is responsible for generating fission chain reactions. nuclear energy / power. Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). The overwhelming majority of nuclear reactor generating capacity is concentrated in North America, Europe, and Asia. But in most scientific uses nuclearand atomicmean different things. A nation or group possessing nuclear weapons. nuclear power. 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? 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. One method of releasing nuclear energy is by controlled nuclear fission, used in nuclear power plants around the world. These prototypes provided “proof-of-concept” and laid the groundwork for the development of the higher-power reactors that followed. Nuclear energy, energy that is released in significant amounts in processes that affect atomic nuclei, the dense cores of atoms. All of these concerns are discussed below. 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. A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor.As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity.As of 2018, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported there were 450 nuclear power reactors in operation in 30 countries. What is Nuclear Power. Nuclearis used to refer to the nucleus of an atom, where the protons and neutrons are located. Professor of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. A nuclear power plant is a type of power station that generates electricity using heat from nuclear reactions. Delivered to your inbox! energy, electrical power, nuclear power, solar power, steam power, water power 2 A country that has nuclear weapons. Nuclear energy provides power 24/7 without a trace of those pollutants. Accessed 23 Jan. 2021. nuclear fuel to the material that is used to generate the nuclear reactions Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/technology/nuclear-power, Official Site of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Union of Concerned Scientists - How Nuclear Power Works, U.S. Energy Information Administration - Nuclear Explained. 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. a nuclear power plant. Availability of cheap and reliable nuclear power may stifle use of other forms of power, particularly if it is perceived as less polluting. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Thorium could power the next generation of nuclear reactors What the end of the atomic renaissance means for nuclear power Fukushima accident gave everyone an X-ray’s worth of radiation 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. Omissions? 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 provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity. American Heritage® Dictionary of the … Generating el… The first nuclear power plants, which were small demonstration facilities, were built in the 1960s. Nuclear power definition is - energy that is created by splitting apart the nuclei of atoms. Light water reactor (LWR): A common nuclear reactor cooled and usually moderated by ordinary water. Schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant using a pressurized-water reactor. 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. Nuclear energy is a very powerful type of energy. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'. These reactions take place within a reactor. nuclear power The electrical power generated by a nuclear reactor . This site focuses on nuclear power plants and nuclear energy. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe... Do you know these earlier meanings of words? A handful of microreactor designs are under development in the United States, and they could be ready to roll out within the next decade. 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. The safety of nuclear reactors has become paramount since the Fukushima accident of 2011. A nuclear power plant is a facility for obtaining electrical energy using nuclear energy. n power, esp. 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 is power released in nuclear reactions that can be converted to electric power. “Nuclear power.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuclear%20power. A typical nuclear power plant has a generating capacity of approximately one gigawatt (GW; one billion watts) of electricity. For additional detail, see Nuclear Power Plants. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. LWRs make up more than 80 percent of the world’s nuclear reactors, and more than three-quarters of the LWRs are PWRs. 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. Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! 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. Availability of cheap and reliable nuclear power may stifle use of other forms of power, particularly if … nuclear power definition: 1. the power produced when the nucleus (= central part) of an atom is divided or joined to another…. relating to weapons, or the use of weapons, which use the power produced when the nucleus of an atom is divided or joined to another … Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. A nuclear power plant (nuclear power station) looks like a standard thermal power station with one exception.The heat source in the nuclear power plant is a nuclear reactor.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. This process, nuclear fission, generates heat that is directed to a … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. electrical or motive, produced by a nuclear reactor, (Also called) atomic power. Low-enriched uranium (LEU): Uranium enriched to less than 20% U-235. Nuclear power is a clean and efficient way of boiling water to make steam, which turns turbines to produce electricity. The EIA projects that Asia will have the largest nuclear capacity by 2035, mainly because of an ambitious building program in China. nuclear: [adjective] of, relating to, or constituting a nucleus. Active and passive safety systems are incorporated into the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) as well. The four reactors involved in the Fukushima accident were first-generation BWRs designed in the 1960s. Updates? Nuclear power, electricity generated by power plants that derive their heat from fission in a nuclear reactor. (That in power reactors is usually 3.5 - 5.0% U-235.) Nuclear energy immediately became a military weapon of terrifying magnitude. Nuclear decay processes are used in niche applications such as radioisotope thermoelectric generators. The heat source in the nuclear power plant is a nuclear reactor. Nuclear power is generated by splitting atoms to release the energy held at the core, or nucleus, of those atoms. nuclear reaction. The early period of the nuclear power industry was dominated by North America (the United States and Canada), but in the 1980s that lead was overtaken by Europe. B2. Nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and mercury: all things you don’t want in the air you breathe. The Energy Information Administration (EIA), a statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy, has projected that world electricity generation between 2005 and 2035 will roughly double (from more than 15,000 terawatt-hours to 35,000 terawatt-hours) and that generation from all energy sources except petroleum will continue to grow. 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. This energy is made into electricity, which then can be used to power machines and heat homes. n. 1. 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