Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear fission is a reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei
Nuclear energy is produced when atoms are split apart during nuclear fission to release energy
The most common fuel used for nuclear fission in nuclear power plants is uranium-235
Nuclear fission takes place when a neutron collides with a fuel atom. This causes the atom to split apart, releasing heat and radiation energy, as well as more neutrons which will go on to collide with more fuel atoms, and so the cycle continues. The cycle is called a nuclear chain reaction
The heat, which in turn heats a cooling agent produces steam
The steam produced turns turbines or wheels that drive generators to create electricity we can use

The function of heavy water in a nuclear reactor is to slow down the speed of neutrons
Architect of Indian Atomic Energy program and father of nuclear research in India - Homi Jahangir Bhabha
Nuclear research in India started with establishment of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in 1945 - Mumbai
April 1948 - Atomic Energy Act was passed
10th August 1948 - Indian Atomic Energy Commission was set up under Natural Resources and Scientific Research
3rd August 1954 - Dept of Atomic Energy (DAE) came into being under PM through Presidential Order

The Atomic Energy Commission of India is the governing body of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)

APSARA - 1st experimental Nuclear reactor (research reactor) in India and Asia - Commissioned in 1956 by BARC - Trombay - APSARA was a pool-type reactor and uses 80% enriched uranium fuel
KAMINI - Thorium plant - Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam
The world's first thorium-based nuclear plant, "BHAVNI," using Uranium-233, is being set up at Kalpakkam
First nuclear power project - Tarapur, Maharashtra - Completed in 1969
First PHWR (Pressurized heavy-water reactor) - Rawat Bhata, Rajasthan - Chambal river
Nuclear power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)

Nuclear Power - 5th largest in India
India - 7 operational NPP - The present installed nuclear power capacity in the country is 6780 MW comprising of 22 operational nuclear power reactors out of which 18 reactors are Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and 4 are Light Water Reactors (LWRs)

Narora Atomic Power Station - Uttar Pradesh - Ganga river
Rawat Bhata/Rajasthan APS - Chambal river - Near Rana Pratap Sagar
Tarapur Atomic Power Station - Maharashtra - First commercial nuclear power station built in India
Kaiga Atomic Power Station - Karnataka - Kali river
Madras Atomic Power Station/Kalpakkam - Tamil Nadu - India's first fully indigenously constructed nuclear power station
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Station - Tirunelveli - Largest nuclear power station in India
Kakrapar Atomic Power Station - Gujarat - Tapti river - Largest domestically constructed nuclear power plant in India

Code name of India's first successful nuclear weapon test on 18 May 1974
Conducted at Pokhran Test Range of the Indian Army in Rajasthan
As per the United States military intelligence, the operation was named as Happy Krishna
The test led to the formation of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to control nuclear proliferation (expansion)
After the test, India carried out one other subsequent nuclear test named Pokhran-II in 1998

SSC Notes & Knowledge Corner