Most comercial power plants today are ' light-water reactor'. In this type of reactor, U-235 fuel rods are submerged in water. Here, water acts as coolant and moderator. The control rods of boron-10 are inserted or removed automatically from spaces in between the fuel rods.
The heat emmitted by fission of U-235 in the fuel ⛽ core is absorbed by the coolant. The heated coolant (water at 573K) then goes to the exchanger. Here the coolant teansfers heat to sea water which is converted into stem. The stem then turns the turbines, generating electricity. A reactor once started can continuous to function and supply power for generations.
About 15 per cent of consumable electricity in U.S.A. today is provided by light water reactors. India's first nuclear lant went into operation in 1960 at Tarapur near Mumbai. Another plants has been set up at Narora in Uttar Pradesh. While such nuclear power plants will be a boon for our country.
Disposal of reactor waste poes another hazard.
The products of fission e.g., Ba-139 and Kr-92, are themselves radioactive. They emit dangerous radiation for several hundred years.
The waste is packed in concrete barrels which are buried deep in the earth 🌎 or dumped in the sea. But the fear is that any leakage and corrosion of the storage vessels may eventually contaminate the water supplies.
