Sustained nuclear fission reactions rely on the passing of neutrons from one atom to another-the neutrons released in one atom's fissioning trigger the fissioning of the next atom. 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi station runs on so-called mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, in which uranium is mixed with other fissile materials such as plutonium from spent reactor fuel or from decommissioned nuclear weapons. Enriched uranium is manufactured into fuel rods that are encased in metal cladding made of alloys such as zirconium. (Isotopes are variants of elements with different atomic masses.) Uranium 238 is much more common in nature than uranium 235 but does not fission well, so fuel manufacturers boost the uranium 235 content to a few percent, which is enough to maintain a continuous fission reaction and generate electricity. Most nuclear reactors use uranium fuel that has been "enriched" in uranium 235, an isotope of uranium that fissions readily. electricity comes from nuclear power plants, making it the third-largest source of electricity in the country after coal (45 percent) and natural gas (23 percent). produces more nuclear power overall, but nuclear constitutes a smaller share of its energy portfolio. Worldwide, nuclear energy accounts for about 15 percent of electricity generation Japan gets nearly 30 percent of its electricity from its nuclear plants. The Fukushima Daiichi station, which has been hit hard by the March 11 earthquake, houses six of those reactors, all of which came online in the 1970s. and France, according to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency. With 54 nuclear reactors generating 280 billion kilowatt-hours annually, Japan is the world's third-largest producer of nuclear power, after the U.S. How much electricity does nuclear power provide in Japan and elsewhere? The chain reaction becomes self-sustaining, producing a steady supply of heat to boil water, drive steam turbines and thereby generate electricity.
If another atom absorbs one of those neutrons, the atom becomes unstable and undergoes fission itself, releasing more heat and more neutrons.
They rely on harnessing nuclear fission-the splitting of an atom into two smaller atoms, which also yields heat and sends neutrons flying. Most nuclear reactors, including those at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi generating station, are essentially high-tech kettles that efficiently boil water to produce electricity.
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