Did you know?
Radiotherapy uses radiation to target and kill cancerous cells. The materials used are typically made in a nuclear reactor.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
Did you know?
Our ‘Journeys through Nuclear’ section makes it easy to learn about nuclear using a simple to follow, step-by-step format.
Image Credit – Temelin – CC BY 2.0
Image Credit – Temelin – CC BY 2.0
Did you know?
Radioactive waste is stored in many ways. Some Low-Level Waste requires less shielding and containment and can be stored in standard barrels.
Image Credit – D5481026 – CC BY-SA 4.0
Image Credit – D5481026 – CC BY-SA 4.0
Life at Calder Hall
Massive generators are mounted in huge concrete structures. The turbines driving the generators are located one level above.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Did you know?
Gas centrifuges are a common way of enriching uranium. To achieve this, the devices must spin at over 50000 rotations per minute.
Image Credit – Nuclear Regulatory Commission – CC BY 2.0
Image Credit – Nuclear Regulatory Commission – CC BY 2.0
Events that changed the industry
The Core of Windscale Unit 1 overheated and caught fire on the 10th of October 1957.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Did you know?
Heavy water, sometimes used in reactors, can be lethal in higher concentrations as it inhibits cell division.
Image Credit – Alchemist-hp – Free Art License 1.3
Image Credit – Alchemist-hp – Free Art License 1.3
Did you know?
Pseudo-scientific beauty and medical products made with radioactive materials used to be sold under the false pretence of health benefits.
Image Credit – Radior Cosmetics – Public Domain
Image Credit – Radior Cosmetics – Public Domain
Did you know?
Water in a PWR primary circuit is heated to around 300 degrees Celsius and kept under extreme pressure to prevent it from turning to steam.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
Did you know?
Americium-241 is used as a sealed alpha-emitting source in smoke detectors.
Image Credit – Mark D – CC BY-SA 2.0
Image Credit – Mark D – CC BY-SA 2.0
Did you know?
Magnox reactors were some of the world’s first commercial nuclear reactors. The name “Magnox” comes from the magnesium-aluminium alloy (Magnesium Non-Oxidising) used to clad the natural uranium fuel rods.
Image Credit – Roger Davies – CC BY-SA 2.0
Image Credit – Roger Davies – CC BY-SA 2.0
Did you know?
There are lots of paths into the nuclear industry that require no formal education.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
Did you know?
If you are pursuing a career in the nuclear industry, our ‘Next Steps’ tool can help you pick the right path for you.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
Frozen in Time
A number of uranium cubes produced during the Manhattan Project.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Did you know?
Las Vegas, nicknamed the ‘Atomic City’, became a hotspot for ‘Atomic Tourism’ during the 1950s. Tourists flocked to the city to watch atomic weapons tests.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
Did you know?
To prevent the unwanted movement of radioactive contamination, portable surface contamination meters are used to monitor people and objects as they leave controlled areas.
Image Credit – IAEA Imagebank – CC BY 2.0
Image Credit – IAEA Imagebank – CC BY 2.0
Life at Calder Hall
A series of equipment is used to control the steam as energy is extracted from it. The steam eventually turns back into liquid water and is returned to the boilers.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Did you know?
At 05:29:21 MWT on the 16th of July 1945 the world’s first nuclear weapon was detonated by the United States.
Image Credit – Jack W. Aeby – Public domain
Image Credit – Jack W. Aeby – Public domain
Did you know?
Some nuclear reactor types use gases to cool the reactor core instead of water. A common example is Carbon Dioxide.
Image Credit – Pixabay
Image Credit – Pixabay
Did you know?
Uranium can be used to stain glass, resulting in a yellow or green colour, as well as glowing bright green under UV light.
Image Credit – Beeblaine – CC BY 4.0
Image Credit – Beeblaine – CC BY 4.0
Did you know?
Reactor coolant removes heat from the reactor core and transfers it to the secondary circuit for electricity generation.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
Did you know?
Nuclear power stations make up less than 0.3% of the average annual dose to the public.
Image Credit – Nuledo – CC BY-SA 4.0
Image Credit – Nuledo – CC BY-SA 4.0
Did you know?
The Tōkai Nuclear Power Plant holds the distinction of being Japan’s first commercial nuclear power station. Commissioned in 1966, the reactor was based on the British Magnox design.
Image Credit – ENERGY.GOV – Public Domain
Image Credit – ENERGY.GOV – Public Domain
Did you know?
Fuel cladding is the first layer of containment and performs the crucial job of retaining highly radioactive fission products.
Image Credit – Science Museum Group – Licence CC BY 4.0 DEED
Image Credit – Science Museum Group – Licence CC BY 4.0 DEED
Did you know?
High Level Waste can be stored in gigantic and extremely heavily shielded dry casks during storage or transport.
Image Credit – Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Public domain
Image Credit – Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Public domain
Did you know?
Enriched uranium can be handled by hand. The main danger is not the radiation, but the possibility of heavy metal poisoning.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public Domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public Domain
Did you know?
Atomic weapons release so much energy that temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius can be reached during the reaction.
Image Credit – USDE – Public Domain
Image Credit – USDE – Public Domain
Did you know?
Uranium takes its name from a planet in our solar system. Uranium was discovered in 1789 and named after the recently discovered planet Uranus.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
Did you know?
This cross-sectional cut of a nuclear waste container reveals how spent nuclear fuel assemblies are stored. The wall of the container includes radiation absorbing material and the exterior is covered with heat fins.
Image Credit – Pixabay
Image Credit – Pixabay
Did you know?
Our ‘Museum’ section lets you immerse yourself in the incredible moments and items that define the industry.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels