Science & TechHow it works
How a nuclear plant makes electricity: with a steam engine.
In the reactor, uranium nuclei split and heat a coolant, usually water. That makes steam, directly or through a heat exchanger. The steam drives a multi-stage turbine that spins a generator. Afterwards the steam is condensed with river or cooling-tower water and loops back. It is the same cycle as a coal plant; only the heat source differs.
Useful: The white clouds above cooling towers are water vapour from the cooling loop, not smoke.
Source: en.wikipedia.org