1. Nuclear Power Production
Westinghouse Science Honors Institute
October 8, 2016
Catherine Perego
Westinghouse Electric Company
Senior Engineer, AP1000 Plant Vogtle ITAAC

2. Agenda Safety Brief Overview of Electricity
Understanding the Atom – Nuclear Physics
Designing the Core – Nuclear Fuel
Harnessing the Energy – Nuclear Power Production

3. Overview of Electricity

4. Our Society Requires Electricity

5. Sources of Electricity (U.S. – 2013)
Nuclear
19%
Natural Gas
27%
Coal
39%
Hydro 7%
Wind, Solar & Geothermal 6%

6. How do we get from FUEL to POWER?

7. Understanding the Atom – Nuclear Physics

8. The Atom – Small but Mighty!
Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons.
The protons and neutrons make up the nucleus of the atom.
The electrons orbit the nucleus.

9. The Discovery of Fission
Marie Curie
Einstein
Lise Meitner / Otto Frisch

10. Chain Reaction!

11. Criticality
The chain reaction rate is measured in criticality (Keffective)
Keff < 1  Subcritical
Keff = 1  Critical
Keff > 1  Supercritical
The goal of commercial nuclear reactors is to remain critical during operation
Special types of nuclear reactors can go supercritical safely – like the TRIGA reactor at Penn State!

12. Control is Key
Neutron

13. Designing the Core – Nuclear Fuel

14. Parts of a Whole – Fuel Pellets
5 pellets = 1 house for one year
1 pellet = 149 gallons of oil, 17k ft3 NG, 1 ton coal

15. Parts of a Whole – Fuel Rods & Control Rods
A single uranium
fuel pellet the size
of a fingertip
contains as much
energy as:
17,000 cubic feet of natural gas
1,780 pounds of coal
149 gallons of oil.

16. = = = Assemblies & The Core 149 gallons 1 Nuclear Fuel Pellet of oil
1,780 lbs.
of coal =
17,000 cubic feet of natural gas =

17. Harnessing the Energy – Nuclear Power Production

18. Introduction to Nuclear Power
From Atoms to Electricity

19. How do we get from FUEL to POWER?

20. Boiling Water Reactor

21. Pressurized Water Reactor

22. Nuclear Energy in the U.S.
Over 100 nuclear power plants
Over 20% of electricity supplied by nuclear
Cooling towers are just water
Beaver valley
Some don’t need them – North Anna
AP1000 passive

23. Nuclear Energy is Used Worldwide

24. Nuclear Power is…
Safe!
3 barriers
Enrichment much different than bomb

25. Nuclear Power is… Clean! Largest source of carbon-free electricity
More radiation exposure from coal plant than nuclear plant

26. Nuclear Power is…
Reliable!
Polar vortex

27. Questions?