Boiling Water Reactor

A boiling water reactor (BWR) is a type of nuclear reactor used to generate electrical power, developed in the mid-1950s. The reactor's core generates heat through nuclear fission. Very pure water is circulated through the core, where it absorbs this heat and turns into a steam-water mixture. The steam-water mixture exits the core at the top and travels through a steam line to a steam turbine. The turbine contains hundreds of blades, and when the steam strikes these blades, it causes the turbine shaft to spin. This rotational energy is transferred to a generator, which converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy using a magnetic field. Any unused steam is directed to a condenser, where it is cooled and condensed back into water. This water is then pumped out of the condenser, reheated, and returned to the reactor vessel to repeat the cycle. The reactor core contains fuel assemblies that are continuously cooled by circulating water to maintain safe operation. A well-known example of a boiling water reactor is the one used in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. This plant suffered severe damage from a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011.