Nuclear power plant: Difference between revisions
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==History== | ==History== | ||
The [[Calder Hall nuclear power station|Calder Hall]] nuclear power plant in the [[United Kingdom]] was the world's first nuclear power plant to produce electricity in commercial quantities and began operations in 1956.<ref name=Kragh>{{cite book|author= Helge Kragh|title=Quantum Generations: A History of Physics in the Twentieth Century|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1999|pages=page 286|id =ISBN 0-691-09552-3}}</ref> The [[Shippingport Atomic Power Station]] in [[Shippingport, Pennsylvania]] was the first commercial nuclear power plant in the [[United States]] and was opened in 1957.<ref>[http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/superla.html Unique reactors] From the website of the [[Energy Information Administration]], (EIA).</ref> As of 2007, There were more than 430 operational nuclear power plants worldwide and they produced about 15% of the world's electricity.<ref>[http://www.iaea.org/cgi-bin/db.page.pl/pris.oprconst.htm The Number of Reactors in Operation Worldwide] From the website of the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] (IAEA).</ref><ref>[http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2008/np2008.html Projections Continue to Rise for Nuclear Power, but Relative Generation Share Declines] From the Website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
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Revision as of 23:55, 3 November 2012
A power plant that uses the energy derived from controlled (non-explosive) nuclear reactions to generate power such as electricity. Currently, nuclear power plants use the heat energy derived from nuclear fission reactions to generate steam, which in turn is used to generate power. The power from the nuclear power plant can be electrical, commonly sold commercially similarly to other electric power plants, or can provide direct mechanical drive power, typically used for ship propulsion mostly in Navy ships. There are several types of nuclear plants depending on the type of nuclear reactor used. Currently, the two most common types are pressurized water reactors (PWR) and boiling water reactors (BWR).
History
The Calder Hall nuclear power plant in the United Kingdom was the world's first nuclear power plant to produce electricity in commercial quantities and began operations in 1956.[1] The Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Shippingport, Pennsylvania was the first commercial nuclear power plant in the United States and was opened in 1957.[2] As of 2007, There were more than 430 operational nuclear power plants worldwide and they produced about 15% of the world's electricity.[3][4]
References
- ↑ Helge Kragh (1999). Quantum Generations: A History of Physics in the Twentieth Century. Princeton University Press, page 286. ISBN 0-691-09552-3.
- ↑ Unique reactors From the website of the Energy Information Administration, (EIA).
- ↑ The Number of Reactors in Operation Worldwide From the website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
- ↑ Projections Continue to Rise for Nuclear Power, but Relative Generation Share Declines From the Website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).