Sciencedoze: Science, Education and Technology

Sun is a big power station that provides clean, non-stop energy for free. Sun is a ball of nuclear energy that has enough fuel onboard to run our solar system for another five billion years and solar panels can convert this energy into the infinite supply of electricity . Solar power may seem an advance technology, but it's already in use. Solar-powered quartz watch, calculator, car, aircraft, etc are already used in daily life. Also, NASA has developed a solar-powered plane whose upper wing surface is covered by solar panels that power the plane's engine. Topics covered in this article: How much energy Sun can provide us? What are Solar Cells ? How solar cells are manufactured and its working?  The efficiency of Solar Cells   Different types of photovoltaic solar cells How much power a solar cell can create? Why Solar cells are not popular in use? How much energy Sun can provide us? The amount of energy received from the sun is minimum at su

What is a Nuclear Reactor A Nuclear reactor (also known as atomic pile), is a device used to initiate, terminate and control a nuclear chain reaction. It is based on the principle of controlled chain reaction and provides energy at a constant rate. Nuclear reactors are mainly used at the nuclear power plant for electricity generation . Energy (Heat) from nuclear fission is passed to a fluid, which turns into steam and runs a turbine to generate alternating current. Some nuclear reactors are also used for producing isotopes for medical and research purposes. Main Parts of Nuclear Reactor 1. Nuclear Fuel It is a material that can be fissioned by neutrons. The isotopes such as U-235 , Th-232 , and Pu-239 can be used in a reactor as a fuel. A certain amount of the fuel is taken in the form of rods, kept in aluminum containers. The rods which are separated by the moderator are placed in the core of the reactor. 2. Moderator During the fission of Uranium, fast