Nuclear fuel - Wikipedia
网页Nuclear fuel is material used in nuclear power stations to produce heat to power turbines. Heat is created when nuclear fuel undergoes nuclear fission. Nuclear fuel has the highest energy density of all practical fuel sources.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle - Department of Energy
网页2016年11月15日 · The nuclear fuel cycle is made up of two phases: the front end and the back end. The front end prepares uranium for use in nuclear reactors. These steps include mining, milling, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication. The back end ensures that the used nuclear fuel is safely managed, recycled, or disposed of.
What is Nuclear Energy? The Science of Nuclear Power
网页2022年11月15日 · Nuclear energy is a form of energy released from the nucleus, the core of atoms, made up of protons and neutrons. This source of energy can be produced in two ways: fission – when nuclei of atoms split into several parts – …
The nuclear fuel cycle - U.S. Energy Information Administration …
网页2023年10月26日 · The nuclear fuel cycle consists of two phases: the front end and the back end. Front-end steps prepare uranium for use in nuclear reactors. Back-end steps ensure that used—or spent—but still highly radioactive, nuclear fuel is safely managed, prepared, and disposed of.
Nuclear energy | Definition, Sources, Uses, & Facts | Britannica
网页2024年9月28日 · Nuclear energy, energy that is released in significant amounts in processes that affect atomic nuclei, the dense cores of atoms. One method of releasing nuclear energy is by controlled nuclear fission, used in nuclear power plants around the world.
Advantages and Challenges of Nuclear Energy
网页2024年6月11日 · Nuclear energy protects air quality by producing massive amounts of carbon-free electricity. It powers communities in 28 U.S. states and contributes to many non-electric applications, ranging from the medical field to space exploration.
What is Nuclear Fuel? | NRC.gov
网页2020年3月19日 · The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Science 101: What is Nuclear Fuel? So you know about nuclear chain reactions and how they are used to generate electricity in reactors. Now we look at the fuel that reactors use to create those chain reactions.
NUCLEAR 101: How Does a Nuclear Reactor Work? - Department of Energy
网页2023年8月2日 · The main job of a reactor is to house and control nuclear fission—a process where atoms split and release energy. Fission and Fusion: What is the Difference? Reactors use uranium for nuclear fuel.
Nuclear energy facts and information - National Geographic
网页2019年3月26日 · The most common fuel for nuclear power is uranium, an abundant metal found throughout the world. Mined uranium is processed into U-235, an enriched version used as fuel in nuclear reactors...
Nuclear explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
网页Nuclear fuel—uranium. Uranium is the fuel most widely used by nuclear plants for nuclear fission. Uranium is considered a nonrenewable energy source, even though it is a common metal found in rocks worldwide. Nuclear power plants use a certain kind of uranium, referred to as U-235, for fuel because its atoms are easily split apart.