What is the most common fuel used in nuclear power plants

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

The NRC regulates and oversees the civilian uses of nuclear materials in the United States by licensing facilities that possess, use, or dispose of nuclear materials; establishing standards; and inspecting licensed facilities. This includes nuclear power plants. The NRC is responsible for implementing the EPA established standards at the facilities they oversee.

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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Nuclear Fission Creates Heat
Types of Light-water Reactors in the United States

Most states have signed formal agreements with the NRC, providing the states regulatory responsibility over small quantities of special nuclear material. These states are known as Agreement States. The radioactive materials license can be issued either by the NRC or an Agreement State.

The NRC Agreement State Program
This webpage provides information about the NRC Agreement State program and lists links to additional information.

How the NRC Protects You
This webpage provides information about how the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates and inspects sites where radioactive materials are used.

Nuclear Reactors
This webpage contains links to information about the NRC’s role in the nuclear power industry.

Student’s Corner: Nuclear Energy
This webpage provides information for students about nuclear energy, radiation emergencies, radioactive waste and more.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The EPA uses its authority from the Clean Air Act to set limits on the amount of radioactive material released into the air from nuclear power plants. The EPA sets environmental standards for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, high-level wastes.

Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Nuclear Power Operations (40 CFR Part 190)
This webpage provides information on the EPA’s environmental radiation protection standards for nuclear power operations, including a summary of the rule, rule history, and a link to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for this rule.

Radiation: Facts, Risks and Realities
In this booklet, you can read about radiation and its health risks. You can learn about natural radiation and radioactive material used in medicine and nuclear power.

Overview of the Clean Air Act and Air Pollution
This webpage provides information about the Clean Air Act and how air is monitored to help protect the public.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

FEMA evaluates state and local emergency response plans for areas around nuclear power plants.

Nuclear Power Plant Emergencies
This webpage provides information on nuclear power plants and potential nuclear emergencies.

Nuclear Power Plant Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 106 K, About PDF)
This fact sheet provides information for people who live near a nuclear power plant, including how to respond during an emergency situation.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

The DOE has oversight responsibilities related to radioactive waste disposal and domestic energy production. The EIA, a branch of the DOE, collects, analyzes, and releases information about different energy sources. They have a role in educating the public about energy.

Nuclear Energy Sources
This webpage provides a background information about nuclear power as an energy source used in the United States. Links are provided to learn more about reactor technologies and nuclear facilities.

Nuclear & Uranium
This webpage provides links to information and data about how much electricity nuclear power plants in the United States generate.

Energy Kids
This webpage provides information on how uranium is used to produce electricity in nuclear power plants.

Nuclear Explained
This webpage provides information about nuclear power in the United States including where it comes from and how much energy is generated.

The States

Each nuclear power plant must have an emergency response plan for incidents that occur on-site. State and local authorities have emergency response plans for incidents that could release radiological material outside the plant property. These emergency response plans are designed to work together. State and local authorities practice their emergency plans every two years at every commercial nuclear power plant.

State Radiation Protection Programs
This webpage provides links and contact information for each state's Radiation Control Program office.

Nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant.

They contain and control nuclear chain reactions that produce heat through a physical process called fission. That heat is used to make steam that spins a turbine to create electricity.

With more than 440 commercial reactors worldwide, including 92 in the United States, nuclear power continues to be one of the largest sources of reliable carbon-free electricity available.

Nuclear Fission Creates Heat

The main job of a reactor is to house and control nuclear fission—a process where atoms split and release energy.

Reactors use uranium for nuclear fuel. The uranium is processed into small ceramic pellets and 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 hundred assemblies, depending on power level.

Inside the reactor vessel, the fuel rods are immersed in water which acts as both a coolant and moderator. The moderator helps slow down the neutrons produced by fission to sustain the chain reaction.

Control rods can then be inserted into the reactor core to reduce the reaction rate or withdrawn to increase it.

The heat created by fission turns the water into steam, which spins a turbine to produce carbon-free electricity.

Types of Light-water Reactors in the United States

All commercial nuclear reactors in the United States are light-water reactors. This means they use normal water as both a coolant and neutron moderator.

There are two types of light-water reactors operating in America.

Pressurized water reactors

More than 65% of the commercial reactors in the United States are pressurized-water reactors or PWRs. These reactors pump water into the reactor core under high pressure to prevent the water from boiling.

The water in the core is heated by nuclear fission and then pumped into tubes inside a heat exchanger. Those tubes heat a separate water source to create steam. The steam then turns an electric generator to produce electricity.

The core water cycles back to the reactor to be reheated and the process is repeated.

Boiling Water Reactors

Roughly a third of the reactors operating in the United States are boiling water reactors (BWRs).

BWRs heat water and produce steam directly inside the reactor vessel. Water is pumped up through the reactor core and heated by fission. Pipes then feed the steam directly to a turbine to produce electricity.

The unused steam is then condensed back to water and reused in the heating process.