CHAPTER EIGHT
Nuclear Energy
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Exhibit 8-2
Boiling Water Reactor
Boiling water reactors (BWRs) have only two loops. Water passes through the reactor core where it boils, creating steam. From the steam generator, a steam line is directed to a turbine that turns a generator used to produce electricity. The steam passes through a condenser where it is turned into water and returned to the reactor core, repeating the process. A secondary coolant loop rejects excess heat energy to the atmosphere.
For more information on this exhibit, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Services Division at 512-463-4900 or at P.O. Box 13528, Austin, Texas 78711-3528.
Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.