Energy production

In the world today, there are many instances of radiation sources that are used in order to produce electrical and thermal energy. These radiation sources can be used to generate energy for things such as spacecrafts and satellites, among other things that are generally found in remote areas. However, the most commonly known usage of radiation sources for energy production are the nuclear power plants that generate about 11% of the electricity being produced in the world today, mainly for consumer use. These nuclear power plants have become quite common in the recent years, and today there are more than 50 countries that use nuclear power for their energy production, and there are about 225 nuclear power plants in total all over the world.

No matter what kind of energy one attempts to produce with nuclear energy, they would need a nuclear reactor. These reactors can be found therefore be found within any nuclear power plant. Of these reactors, there are generally two different types. These are pressurized water reactors, and boiling water reactors. Both use radioactivity in order to heat water in order to produce steam. This steam will then turn a turbine that is connected to a generator, thereby producing electricity that is sent out to the general public.

An important thing to think about when discussing nuclear power plants are the nuclear meltdowns that have occurred in the past. There have been three major accidents regarding nuclear power, and these have led a lot of people to believe that nuclear power is unstable and unsafe. However, in reality nuclear power has actually proved to be one of the safest ways to generate electricity, even considering the long lasting damage that could occur when radiation is released due to a nuclear meltdown.