learn-how-nuclear-energy-works

Learn How

Nuclear Energy Works

Learn How Nuclear Energy Works

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How does a reactor work?

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Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Before uranium can be used in a reactor, it must undergo four steps: mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication. (Dom Smith/EcoFlight)

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Nuclear fuel spends on average five years in a nuclear reactor before it is removed and replaced with new fuel.

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The nuclear fuel cycle involves preparing uranium for use in civil nuclear reactors and responsibly disposing of fuel once it has been used or ‘spent.’

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Nuclear fuel is a solid when it goes into a reactor and a solid when it comes out of a reactor.

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Spent nuclear fuel is safely and securely stored at more than 70 reactor sites across the country.

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Nuclear Waste

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Nuclear fuel is extremely energy dense, which means you get a lot of energy from a small amount of material.
In fact, uranium is so energy dense that a soda can’s worth of uranium can meet the lifetime energy needs of the average Utahn.
More than 90% of the energy potential remains in spent nuclear fuel after five years of use in a nuclear reactor.
This would unlock the remaining energy potential and significantly reduce nuclear waste.
Some developers are designing advanced reactors that can run on spent nuclear fuel.
Nuclear fuel is extremely energy dense, which means you get a lot of energy from a small amount of material. In fact, uranium is so energy dense that a soda can’s worth of uranium can meet the lifetime energy needs of the average Utahn. More than 90% of the energy potential remains in spent nuclear fuel after five years of use in a nuclear reactor. Spent nuclear fuel could be reprocessed to create fresh fuel for reactors, and provide critical medical isotopes. This would unlock the remaining energy potential and significantly reduce nuclear spent fuel. Some developers are designing advanced reactors that can run on spent nuclear fuel.
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Advanced Nuclear
Technologies

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Utah’s Uranium Resources
and Nuclear Power