A single city with a population of approximately 100,000 people can have its domestic electricity needs met for an entire year by the energy generated from just one nuclear fuel assembly. This assembly is derived from a specific amount of enriched uranium.
The Concentrated Power of Enriched Uranium
Nuclear power plants utilize processed uranium ore to generate electricity. This process transforms raw material into highly efficient fuel assemblies designed to produce immense amounts of energy.
- Fuel Assembly Output: Each manufactured fuel assembly generates sufficient electricity to meet the domestic power demands of a city of 100,000 residents for an entire year.
- Source of Assemblies: These potent fuel assemblies are produced from enriched uranium. Remarkably, one single cylinder of enriched uranium has the capacity to yield three such fuel assemblies.
Understanding Uranium Requirements for City Power
Based on these capacities, here's a detailed breakdown of the enriched uranium equivalent needed to power cities of different sizes for a year:
| City Size (Approximate Population) | Duration | Uranium Equivalent (Enriched Uranium) | Fuel Assemblies Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100,000 people | 1 year | Approximately 1/3 of a cylinder | 1 fuel assembly |
| 300,000 people | 1 year | 1 full cylinder | 3 fuel assemblies |
This illustrates the incredible energy density of nuclear fuel. The uranium undergoes an enrichment process to increase the concentration of its fissile isotope, uranium-235, making it highly effective for sustained energy production through nuclear fission within reactors.
