The typical nuclear power plant in the US has a rated power of 1 GW and operates at a thermal efficiency of 33 percent. The energy density of uranium-235 can be found in my lecture on nuclear power (in units of kJ of thermal energy per kilogram of fuel). Assume a capacity factor of 90 percent.
a. What is the heat rate for this plant, in units of kJ/kWh?
b. If the reactor fuel is enriched to 4 percent uranium-235, what is the plant's annual consumption of fuel?
c. How many kilograms of coal would be consumed in one year to produce the same amount of electric power, assuming that the plant has the same efficiency and capacity factor as the nuclear plant? (Coal's energy density can also be found in the nuclear power lecture.)
d. Assuming that the nuclear plant emits no carbon during its operation, what is the annual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions achieved by replacing the coal plant in C. with a nuclear plant? Coal emits 24.5 kg of carbon per kWh of electricity produced.