108 Electrical Power Systems Technology
sil-fuel system, heat is developed by a burning fuel. At the present time,
less than 10 percent of the electrical power produced in the United States
comes from nuclear fission sources. However, this percentage is also sub-
ject to rapid change as new power facilities are put into operation. A typi-
cal nuclear power plant site layout is given in Figure 4-17.
Nuclear Power Fundamentals
In order to better understand the process involved in producing elec-
trical power by nuclear fission plants, we should review some fundamen-
tals. An atom is the smallest particle into which an element can be bro-
ken. The central part of an atom is called its nucleus (this is how the term
“nuclear power” was derived). The nucleus of an atom is composed of
Figure 4-17. Typical site layout of a nuclear power plant (Courtesy Northern
States Power Company)