STEM与日常科技·英语30篇（3）
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Nuclear Fission and Heat Conversion in Power Plants
核裂变与核电站热能转换过程
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Inside a nuclear reactor, uranium-235 atoms split when struck by slow-moving neutrons.
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Each fission event releases energy mostly as kinetic energy of fragments and intense heat.
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This heat warms pressurized water circulating through the reactor core in a closed loop.
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The hot water then transfers its thermal energy to a secondary water loop via a steam generator.
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In that second loop, water boils into high-pressure steam that spins a turbine connected to a generator.
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The spinning turbine produces electricity through electromagnetic induction, just like in coal or gas plants.
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Control rods made of boron or cadmium absorb excess neutrons to keep the chain reaction stable.
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Spent fuel remains highly radioactive and requires decades of cooling in water pools before dry storage.
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Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear fission emits no CO₂ during operation but produces long-lived waste.
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Engineers constantly monitor neutron flux, temperature, and pressure to ensure safe, steady power output.