fun facts and faq

Fission is the splitting of atoms into smaller parts.  Some atoms, themselves tiny, split when they are struck by even smaller particles, called neutrons.

like most u. S. 核电站, the fuel used at Plants Hatch and Vogtle is manufactured using uranium enriched in Uranium-235 (U-235). Fission occurs when a uranium or plutonium atom absorbs a neutron and the atom splits. 在这个过程中，原子产生额外的中子(平均为2.5 each fission), 它们会分裂出更多的U-235和Pu-239原子, 哪个产生更多的中子, and so on. 其结果是连锁反应.

在核电站里, the chain reaction is controlled to keep it from releasing too much energy too fast. in this way, the chain reaction continues for a long time.

When a uranium atom is split, it releases a large amount of energy in the form of heat. This heat transfers to the water that is continuously flowing through the reactor, 使水沸腾，产生蒸汽. the pressure of the expanding steam turns a turbine that is connected to a generator.

除了热源, 核能设施的运作方式与任何化石燃料工厂一样:1)制造热量使水沸腾2)制造蒸汽3)驱动涡轮机，使发电机旋转. 发电机旋转的磁场产生电能.

Uranium is a radioactive element found in natural ores. Deposits of these ores are found in the western United States, 加拿大和澳大利亚, 在其他地方.

铀的回收主要集中在提取(或 mining) natural uranium 矿石从地球和集中(或 milling) that ore. these recovery operations produce a product called "yellowcake" that is transformed into fuel for nuclear power reactors.

下一步是将黄饼转化为适用于浓缩作业的纯六氟化铀(UF6)气体. 在这个转换, impurities are removed and the uranium is combined with fluorine to create the UF6 gas. 然后将UF6加压并冷却成液体. 液态的时候, it is drained into 14-ton cylinders where it solidifies after cooling for approximately five days. 然后，固体形式的UF6钢瓶被运往浓缩工厂.

Enriching uranium increases the proportion of uranium atoms 这可以被“分割” fission to release energy (in the form of heat) that can be used to produce electricity.

the fuel for nuclear reactors 铀235的浓度一定要高于天然铀矿石. 这是因为U235是fissionable，意思是它开始了核反应，并继续进行. Normally, the amount of the U235 isotope is enriched from 0.从7%的铀质量降到5%左右.

来自冷却塔的云只是水蒸气或蒸汽. the steam contains no radiation or other harmful emissions.

After the steam completes the electricity generation process, 它进入一个冷凝器，在那里它被冷却成水再用. Cooling water supplied from the cooling towers flows through pipes within the condenser. 

这种外部的冷却水永远不会与蒸汽发生物理接触. 它在冷凝器中被加热，然后返回到冷却塔，温度比它被取出时要高. the excess heat is given up to the atmosphere as steam.

联邦法规要求在核能源设施获得运营许可之前，对其环境影响进行详细的评估.

Because an unintentional leak of radioactivity from nuclear plants is possible, 美国核管理委员会(NRC)会在核电站初始许可过程中评估此类泄漏的潜在影响. NRC对所有104座正在运行的反应堆进行了环境评估，目前正在对处于许可阶段的新反应堆进行评估.

运营核电站的电力公司必须在核电站投入运营的3年前开始进行放射环境监测, and must continue monitoring throughout the plant's lifetime.

Because radiation is naturally present in the environment, 运行前监测建立了一个基线，工厂工作人员和调节器可以根据这个基线比较后续的测量结果.

the federal limit for annual radiation dose to the public from nuclear plant operations is 25 millirem. REM(伦琴当量人)是辐射照射的单位，表示对人体细胞的潜在生物效应. 一毫雷姆等于千分之一雷姆. 一般人每年从土壤中接受约300毫雷姆的自然本底辐射, rocks, consumer products, 医疗程序, 娱乐技术中心. 

核电站对公众造成的平均实际剂量约为2毫雷姆，不到规定上限的10%.

核电站还被要求对空气进行辐射监测, water, land, food and produce grown near nuclear energy facilities.

nuclear power generation is one of the most highly-regulated industries in the country.

the nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responsible for oversight of all nuclear plant operations, 包括核设施和核材料的许可和管理.  这些责任包括保护公众健康和安全, 保护环境, 为了国家安全的利益，保护和保障核材料和核电站.

NRC resident inspectors are on duty at each nuclear facility and have unrestricted access to the facility.

联邦应急管理局(FEMA)负责制定场外应急准备计划的标准，并评估其有效性.  联邦应急管理局的辐射应急准备计划为州和地方政府制定核能设施的应急计划提供帮助, and coordinating response actions among the various agencies.

乔治亚州公共服务委员会(PSC)监督该州所有乔治亚州发电厂的运作, 不管燃料来源如何, as they relate to costs and expenses allowed into rate base and charged to Georgia residents.

A multitude of additional agencies have oversight of specific activities at nuclear plants, 比如环保局, 国土安全部, [格鲁吉亚]自然资源部, among others.

当用过的燃料从核反应堆中取出时, 它最初被储存在钢内衬的混凝土拱顶里，里面充满了水. 海水在燃料衰变的同时冷却燃料，使其放射性降低.

联邦政府通过法律和合同承诺，从1998年开始接受所有核电站使用过的燃料，将其永久储存在一个中央储存库中. 没有中央仓库, many nuclear plants have needed to supplement their storage capacity with above-ground, 干燥的储存设施.

当用过的核燃料冷却后, 在乏燃料池中保存时间最长的燃料棒被转移到巨大的混凝土和钢铁密封容器中，这些容器已经过安全性和耐久性测试. 在联邦政府审查各种长期储存选择的过程中，用过的燃料棒可以在这些罐中保存足够长的时间.

plant hatch和plant vogtle目前使用干式储存设施.

所有核电站都设计了深度防御安全系统. 这意味着有多个系统, 被动和主动, in place to protect the reactor and the surrounding public.

被动系统包括物理屏障，可以限制污染在主要系统之外的扩散. 这些障碍包括燃料的锆合金包层, the thickness of the reactor vessel and the concrete containment surrounding it.

主动系统的设计是为了确保在发生事故时反应堆的持续冷却和安全关闭. 其中包括设计用于在需要时自动关闭反应堆的反应堆保护系统, 设计用于在正常冷却水流失的情况下补充反应堆冷却水的多芯冷却系统, and containment isolation systems that can close all openings from the containment building to the outside.  

额外的冗余系统已经就位，以检测和减轻任何可能对公众构成威胁的情况.

这不是核能和可再生能源的问题. rather, Southern company uses a variety of fuels for power generation rather than rely too heavily on one resource. in this way, 一种燃料的意外供应中断或价格飙升不会削弱我们向客户供电的能力.

在格鲁吉亚，核能对环境有什么好处?

核能是目前最大的清洁空气能源，也是唯一一种可以全天候产生大量电能的能源. nuclear energy accounts for nearly three-fourths of all U.S. 不排放温室气体的发电能力. 

Vogtle units 3 and 4 will cut annual carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking 3.500万辆汽车被淘汰. 即使二氧化碳排放量是在整个生命周期的基础上评估的, 核能可与太阳能等可再生能源相媲美, 风力和水力发电.

特别是2011年在格鲁吉亚, nuclear power generation allowed us to avoid more than 64,000短吨的二氧化硫排放, 21,000短吨的氮氧化物排放和25.18 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions versus the use of other fuel sources.

nuclear power will provide Georgia residents with clean, safe, 未来几十年的可靠和廉价能源.

Vogtle的两个新单位将创造6个,000 onsite jobs during construction and 800 high-paying permanent jobs once the units are in full operation. This investment will translate into significant increases in state and county taxes paid. 

作为一种大规模的发电源, 核能是产生清洁能源的一种方式, 这个国家可靠的能源. the fuel source uranium is available in the United States and in allied countries.