Did you know?
The nuclear industry is made up of many different occupations and specialisms. You can learn about these using our ‘Workforce’ section.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
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?
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
Frozen in Time
Workers observe instruments in the main control room.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Did you know?
Fuel rods and fuel assemblies can be enormous. They are typically up to 4 metres long.
Image Credit – Pixabay
Image Credit – Pixabay
Did you know?
Gamma radiation can be used to confirm the integrity of welds, metal components, or even buildings.
Image Credit – Pixabay
Image Credit – Pixabay
Did you know?
Nuclear propulsion is commonplace in military vessels such as submarines, aircraft carriers, and even ice breakers.
Image Credit – LA(phot) Mez Merrill – OGL v1.0
Image Credit – LA(phot) Mez Merrill – OGL v1.0
Did you know?
Advanced fuel technologies reimagine how nuclear fuel works and looks. A promising concept is the use of pebbles instead of rods.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public Domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public Domain
Did you know?
Steam generators act as the interface between the primary and secondary cooling circuit, transferring heat away from the reactor.
Image Credit – Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Public domain
Image Credit – Nuclear Regulatory Commission – 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?
Calder Hall was the world’s first full-scale nuclear power station when it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956.
Image Credit – UK government agencies – OGL v3.0
Image Credit – UK government agencies – OGL v3.0
Did you know?
In December 1903, Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, and Henri Becquerel were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their joint research on radiation.
Image Credit – Unknown author – Copyright expired
Image Credit – Unknown author – Copyright expired
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
Frozen in Time
Steam generators are stored on their side prior to installation.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Did you know?
Wilhelm Röntgen took the world’s first medical X-Ray on the 22nd of December 1895. Shown is his wife’s hand, wearing a ring.
Image Credit – Wilhelm Röntgen – Public domain
Image Credit – Wilhelm Röntgen – Public domain
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?
Our ‘3D Models / Simulations’ page lets you look inside the depths of a nuclear reactor and even take control of a complete power station.
Image Credit – Pexels
Image Credit – Pexels
Did you know?
Containment buildings prevent radioactive release, act as radiation shielding, and protect the reactor from external threats.
Image Credit – Raimond Spekking – CC BY-SA 4.0
Image Credit – Raimond Spekking – CC BY-SA 4.0
Did you know?
A nuclear submarine can remain submerged for months, limited only by the crew’s food supply and psychological endurance.
Image Credit – U.S. Pacific Fleet – CC BY-NC 2.0
Image Credit – U.S. Pacific Fleet – CC BY-NC 2.0
Life at Calder Hall
Two workers are moving a set of canisters which contain fuel elements. A reactor building can be seen in the background, along with several steam generators.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Did you know?
Atoms with the same number of protons but varying number of neutrons are known as isotopes.
Image Credit – Canva
Image Credit – Canva
Did you know?
Cherenkov radiation is crucial in astrophysics for studying high-energy cosmic phenomena. In high-energy cosmic ray events, particles entering the Earth’s atmosphere create secondary particles that emit Cherenkov radiation in air.
Image Credit – JanetandPhil – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Image Credit – JanetandPhil – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Did you know?
Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner are two of the four scientists credited with discovering fission in December of 1938.
Image Credit – Unknown author – Public domain
Image Credit – Unknown author – Public domain
Events that changed the industry
Three Mile Island Unit 2 experienced a partial core meltdown on the 28th of March 1979.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Did you know?
Radioactive waste is often stabilised and encased to keep it secure. Vitrification involves embedding waste into glass.
Image Credit – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – Public Domain
Image Credit – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory – Public Domain
Did you know?
Russia uses huge nuclear-powered ice breakers to navigate the Northern Sea Route.
Image Credit – Tuomas Romu – CC BY-SA 3.0
Image Credit – Tuomas Romu – CC BY-SA 3.0
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?
The NS Savannah was the world’s first civilian ship powered by a nuclear reactor.
Image Credit – US Government – Public Domain
Image Credit – US Government – Public Domain
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
Frozen in Time
A depleted and highly irradiated fuel unit is inspected for irradiation damage.
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain
Image Credit – US Department of Energy – Public domain