About one-third of our energy resources are used to produce electricity. In America, nuclear energy plants are the second largest source of electricity after coal -producing approximately 21 percent of our electricity. Accordingly, while nuclear power plants have many similarities to other types of electricity generating plants, there are some significant differences. With the exception of solar, wind, and hydroelectric plants all others including nuclear convert water to steam which spins the propeller like blades of a turbine which spins the shaft of a generator. Inside the generator coils of wire and magnetic fields interact to create electricity.
Nothing is burned or exploded in a nuclear energy plant.
Rather, the uranium fuel generates heat through a process called fission. The uranium is formed into ceramic pellets about the size of the end of your finger. These pellets are inserted into long, vertical tubes within the reactor. The reactor is the heart of the nuclear power plant. Basically, it is a machine that heats water.