Nuclear power plant simulation
Introduction
This is not a lesson like the others in Radioactivity and Atomic Physics Explained but it fits in well with the lesson on nuclear power. It is a very sophisticated simulation of a pressurised water reactor (PWR), which is the most common type of nuclear power reactor in the US but not in Europe, though the principles are very similar.
Simulation of a pressurised water reactor. You can get the reactor going with two clicks or you can set it up from scratch. You're guided through the whole process.
Using the tour
There is a comprehensive tour which goes through the workings of the reactor, starting from a consumer of electrical energy and working backwards to the reactor core itself.
You can restart the tour at any time using the button at the top left of the screen.
Hint numbers
Each part of the simulation has a hint number that you can click to see a description of its function. You can hide these hint numbers if you want.
The skill test
Once you're familiar with how to use the reactor you can see whether you can control the reactor so that the power output matches the demand from the city. You're given a skill percentage rating that you can see change as the test progresses.
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