Name(s)______

Period ______

Nuclear Power Plant Tour

Go to my class fusion page and click the link below, or type the link below into your browser.

Go to-

Warning DO NOT click the back arrowin the internet browser! (It is a flash animation)

Click “Fission”

  1. In a nuclear power plant, what is the location that Fission take place? ______
  1. “Reactor coolant” is actually just water that flows in order to remove ______
    produced by fission.
  1. In conclusion, what simple thing is occurring in the “reactor vessel?” Hint: It is a result of nuclear fission.

Click “Learn about redundant protection systems”

  1. What is the primary safety concern in nuclear fission? ______
  1. How do nuclear stations keep nuclear materials safe?

Go back using the yellow back arrow, then click the large triangle on the bottom right TWICE

  1. What is the second coolant called? (It is highlighted) ______
  1. What happens when the feedwater absorbs heat? ______

Click on the triangle on the right TWICE

  1. What do the control rods absorb?______
  1. What does pulling the control rods out do? ______
  1. What happens when you insert the control rods? ______

Click “Compare Uranium to other fuels” (arrow down)

  1. 1 inch pellet Uranium = ______gallons of oil = ______gallons of gasoline= ______pounds of coal
  1. Given the information above, which type of energy is more environmentally friendly? ______

ClickThe Powerplant Icon in the top Right

Go to the “Turbine & Power Generator”

  1. A turbine is a big fan inside of the nuclear powerplant. What turns the turbine?

Click on the triangle on the right TWICE. Read as you go along.

  1. What do the turbines do to produce electricity?
  1. The actual object that produces the electricity is called? ______
    (Hint: Some people have them in their homes for when electricity goes out)

Click on the triangle on the right.

  1. Where is the electricity from nuclear powerplants sent? ______

ClickThe Powerplant Icon in the top Right, then click “Cooling”

  1. Steam that turns the turbine passes through a cooling structure called a______.
  1. This turns the steam back into ______

Click on the small triangle going to the right.

  1. Where does thewater go finally after being used as steam?
  1. The water is safe for the environment. What is the only difference with the water from the condenser?
  1. Why is the water much warmer? Where did it absorb the heat? From what part of the power plant?

Conclusions

To answer the questions below, use your answers from the activity and re-explore the diagram by clicking on the “power plant” icon in the upper right hand corner.

  1. A nuclear power plant is made up of three major parts, as seen in the activity. They are:

a)______(Hint: This is where fission takes place)

b)______& ______

c)______(Hint: This is where cooling takes place)

  1. What are the objects inside of the reactor vessel that keeps the nuclear reaction under control?
    (Hint: They can be lifted up and down)
  1. On the back of this sheet, draw a very simple diagram of a nuclear power plant, connected by tubes from one section to another. It does not have to be detailed or artistic. Include the following parts, and put them in the correct order. Many of them were not mentioned by these exactnames in the activity.

(Use the link for help, but do NOT copy it. Some parts were not in our activity)

a)Containment Structure (This is just the big metal building that holds all of the fission areas)

b)Reactor Vessel (This is inside of the containment structure. Nuclear fission occurs here).

c)Steam Generator (This is where the water (“coolant”) is heated)

d)Control Rods (Inside of the “Reactor Vessel”. Controls the reaction)

e)Turbines (turned by steam)

f)Generator (makes electricity from turbines)

g)Condensers (cools steam into liquid water)