Nuclear 101
How does a nuclear power plant make electricity?
The short version: a reactor is a heat source. Fission makes heat, heat makes steam, steam spins a turbine, and the turbine drives a generator.
1. FissionAtoms split in the reactor core and release heat.
2. Heat movesCoolant carries heat away from the core.
3. SteamHeat produces steam, directly or through a steam generator.
4. TurbineSteam expands through turbine blades and makes the shaft spin.
5. GeneratorThe spinning shaft drives a generator and electricity goes to the grid.
After the turbine, steam is condensed back into water and reused. The cooling system removes leftover heat — a cooling tower is one possible cooling method, not the nuclear reactor itself.
60-second version
What is actually “nuclear” here?
The core makes heat
The nuclear reaction happens in fuel inside the reactor. Its job is heat production.
The power block is familiar
Turbines, generators and condensers also appear in many non-nuclear thermal power plants.
Most of the cycle is water and steam
The exact plumbing depends on reactor type, but the electricity-making principle is straightforward.
PWR vs BWR
Two common ways to make the steam.
| Question | PWR | BWR |
|---|---|---|
| Where does steam form? | In a separate steam generator | Inside the reactor vessel |
| Does reactor coolant go through the turbine? | No — primary and secondary water loops are separated | Steam from the reactor goes to the turbine |
| End result | Steam spins a turbine → generator produces electricity | |