Fukushima
Daiichi Meltdown
Statue of a child standing
up
bravely
and
strongly
against
any
difficulties
it faces
There are various ways that we could generate electricity. Some of
them are hydropower, solar power, wind power and fossil fuel such
as coal and diesel. Nuclear energy is not a familiar topic among
Sri Lankans. However, nuclear power provides almost 15% of the
world’s electricity. The first nuclear power plants were built as small
demonstrations in the 1960s. A nuclear power plant is similar to a
large coal-fired power plant with valves, steam generators, turbines,
electric generators, pumps, condensers and associated equipment.
The main difference between these two is the nuclear reactor. It has
similar functionality to the boiler of a coal power plant.
A nuclear reactor contains and controls
nuclear chain reactions that produce heat
through a physical process called fission.
The main job of a reactor is to control nuclear
fission. Nuclear fission is a process
where atoms split and release energy.
Reactors use nuclear fuel to operate. Uranium
is the most common nuclear fuel.
Uranium is processed into small ceramic
pellets. Then, they are stacked together
into sealed metal tubes called fuel rods.
Typically more than 200 of these rods are
bundled together to form a fuel assembly.
A reactor core is typically made up of a
couple of hundred assemblies, depending
on the power level.
Page 38
University of Peradeniya GAUGE Magazine