Nuclear fuel cycle

The nuclear fuel cycle is like a giant circle. It's a way to get energy from radioactive materials, which are found in nature. It all starts when people mine uranium or plutonium in the ground. This is the first part of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Once the uranium or plutonium is mined, it's taken to special factories and turned into fuel rods. These fuel rods will then be put into a nuclear reactor, which is a special type of power plant. Inside the reactor, the fuel rods absorb neutrons, which makes them split apart. This process is called 'fission' and it releases a lot of energy.

The energy released from the fission process is used to heat up water, which turns it into steam. This steam is used to power a turbine and generate electricity.

Once the fuel rods have been in the reactor for a while, they become too radioactive and need to be taken out. This is the second part of the nuclear fuel cycle. The fuel rods are taken to a special facility and stored in a big pool of water. This pool helps to keep the fuel rods safe and cool until they are dealt with.

The final part of the nuclear fuel cycle is the disposal of the fuel rods. They are taken to a special storage facility and buried deep underground. This is done to keep people safe from the radioactive material.

So that's the nuclear fuel cycle in a nutshell! It takes uranium or plutonium out of the ground, turns it into fuel rods, uses it to generate energy, stores it safely, and disposes of it properly.