Elements of a Nuclear Power Plant
Basic elements of a nuclear power plant as shown in Figure are :
- Nuclear reactor.
- Coolant and coolant pump.
- Heat exchanger.
- Steam turbine, condenser and generator.
- In a nuclear power plant, a nuclear reactor is used to generate heat energy by splitting the atom of the nuclear fuel in lieu of a furnace of a boiler of conventional power plant.
- This heat energy is used in a heat exchanger for formation of steam which is used for power generation in conventional steam power plant.
- Nuclear power plants are used as base load plants since these plants cannot respond quickly to variable load requirement.