Nuclear power comes from nuclear fission Nuclear power plants heat water to produce steam. The steam is used to spin large turbines that generate electricity. Nuclear power plants use heat produced during nuclear fission to heat water. In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy.

Uranium-235 is fissioned by slow (thermal) neutrons, as a result of which a tremendous amount of heat is released. This is how the most difficult conversion (nuclear into thermal energy) is carried out. The heat collected by the coolant from the reactor core is used to generate steam in the steam generator.

Only the heat source is different. In a nuclear plant, the heat source is from the nuclear reaction whereas in a thermal power plant it is from the combustion of coal. The difference is in the inlet steam parameters to the turbine in a nuclear plant. Thermal power plants use steam at superheated conditions.

The sun is one of the best examples of nuclear fusion. Inside the sun, hydrogen nuclei fuse together to form helium, creating heat energy that warms the Earth.

Potential energy is stored energy and the energy of position.

• Chemical energy is energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules.
• Mechanical energy is energy stored in objects by tension.
• Nuclear energy is energy stored in the nucleus of an atom—the energy that holds the nucleus together.

There are two fundamental nuclear processes considered for energy production: fission and fusion.

The equation says: E [energy] equals m [mass] times c2 [c stands for the speed or velocity of light]. This means that it is mass multiplied by the square of the velocity of light. Scientists used Einstein’s equation as the key to unlock atomic energy and to create atomic bombs.

Currently, there are two ways to produce nuclear energy, through the use of fission and fusion. Fission reactions are more easily controlled than fusion reactions. This is why all nuclear power plants use fission reactions to produce energy and electricity.

PUREX. PUREX, the current standard method, is an acronym standing for Plutonium and Uranium Recovery by EXtraction. The PUREX process is a liquid-liquid extraction method used to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, to extract uranium and plutonium, independent of each other, from the fission products.

In 2010, it was estimated that about 250,000 t of nuclear HLW were stored globally. This does not include amounts that have escaped into the environment from accidents or tests. Japan is estimated to hold 17,000 t of HLW in storage in 2015. As of 2019, the United States has over 90,000 t of HLW.

Scientists have developed methods to remove radioactive uranium from water but they have limitations. One of the most promising recent approaches is the use of metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs. MOFs are compounds that can trap substances, including radioactive uranium, within their hollow structures.