Nuclear power: basic principles and future directions

Nuclear fission is at the heart of every nuclear power plant in operation today. This paper describes how such power plants work, discussing both the natural foces behind fission and the processes by which fission is controlled to produce a chain reaction. It also describes some of the basic elements of reactor design, going over the reactor core, coolant loops, and heat engine in separate detail. It closes with an overview of the Generation IV reactor designs that define the future direction of nuclear power development