Pressurized water reactor facts for kids
Pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are a very common type of nuclear power plant used around the world. They are designed to create electricity using the power of splitting atoms. In a PWR, water is kept under very high pressure so it doesn't boil, even when it gets super hot. This hot water then helps make steam, which powers a machine to create electricity.
Contents
How a PWR Works: Making Electricity
A Pressurized Water Reactor uses a clever system to turn the energy from tiny atoms into useful electricity. It has a few main parts that work together in a cycle.
The Reactor Core: Where Heat Begins
Inside the reactor, there's a special area called the reactor core. This is where nuclear fission happens. Nuclear fission is when tiny atoms, like uranium, are split apart. When they split, they release a lot of heat energy.
Primary Loop: Hot Water Under Pressure
To capture this heat, water is pumped through the reactor core. This water is called the coolant. It gets very hot from the splitting atoms. Because the water is kept under very high pressure, it doesn't boil into steam inside the reactor. This super-hot, high-pressure water then flows to another important part called a steam generator.
Steam Generator: Making Steam
The steam generator is like a giant heat exchanger. The hot water from the reactor core flows through many tubes inside the steam generator. Outside these tubes, there's another separate loop of water. The heat from the primary loop's hot water transfers to this second loop, turning its water into steam. This is important because the water from the reactor never mixes with the water that becomes steam.
Turbine and Generator: Powering Our Homes
The steam created in the steam generator is very powerful. It rushes to a steam turbine, which is like a giant fan. The force of the steam makes the turbine spin very fast. The spinning turbine is connected to an electric generator. This generator is the part that actually makes electricity, which then travels through power lines to homes and businesses.
Cooling and Reusing Water
After the steam has spun the turbine, it cools down and turns back into water. This water is then pumped back to the steam generator to be heated again, ready to start the cycle over. This way, the water is reused, making the process efficient.
Water's Double Role: Coolant and Moderator
In a PWR, ordinary water plays two important roles. First, it acts as a coolant by absorbing the heat from the nuclear fission. Second, it also works as a neutron moderator. Neutrons are tiny particles released during fission. The water slows these neutrons down, which helps keep the nuclear reaction going smoothly and safely.
Images for kids
-
Rancho Seco PWR reactor hall and cooling tower (being decommissioned, 2004)
-
Primary coolant system showing reactor pressure vessel (red), steam generators (purple), pressurizer (blue), and pumps (green) in the three coolant loop Hualong One design
-
PWR reactor pressure vessel
-
PWR fuel bundle This fuel bundle is from a pressurized water reactor of the nuclear passenger and cargo ship NS Savannah. Designed and built by Babcock & Wilcox.
See also
In Spanish: Reactor de agua a presión para niños
