What fuels are used in nuclear power production?

Answer 1

The primary fuels we generally see used in nuclear power plants are the fissile materials uranium and plutonium. In the case of uranium, the metal is recovered from the ground, and is then processed and refined for use as fuel. In reactors using enriched uranium, the uranium will have to undergo considerable processing to increase the concentration of the U-235 isotope that is fissionable. (Natural uranium is mostly U-238.) In the case of plutonium, we can make it by exposing U-238 to neutron flux in an operating nuclear reactor.

Answer 2

The fuel is uranium, usually in the form uranium dioxide, UO2. In light water reactors the uranium has to be enriched to about 4 percent U235 (natural U is 0.7 percent U235). During operation some of the U238 which is 96 percent of the fuel at start is transmuted to plutonium which itself is fissile, by the end of the fuel's life the plutonium is providing a substantial amount of the reactor power whilst the U235 has decreased.

Answer 3

Any element capable of undergoing nuclear fission are used as fuel in a nuclear power plant.

Most commonly used elements are Uranium, Plutonium.

Answer 4

Typically it is U235 or Pu239. Different reactors have tried using different material, in attempts to yield different types of nuclear waste, that may be easier to dispose of.

Answer 5

The actual plant's systems would be powered by electricity.

The reactor which generates the heat needed to convert water into steam to run the turbine generators uses rods of uranium.

Answer 6

uranium, plutonium and water

Answer 7

Petrolium