[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The nuclear fuel heats water, the water boils and creates steam, the steam then drives turbines that create the electricity, and the steam is then cooled and condensed back to water, and the water send back to be heated by the nuclear fuel.

Now, what I know of nuclear reactor design says this is not true. Such a design exists to a degree.

I thought the water that was exposed to the core and superheated under some pressure formed the primary loop. The heat from this loop is transferred to a second loop via heat exchangers and it is this secondary loop containing non-contaminated water that is what forms the steam that drives the turbines and also cools the primary loop. Using steam from water that has been irradiated by the core to run turbines would also irradiate the turbines, no?

Am I wrong or have the Japanese screwed the pooch by using such an inherently dangerous design?

[sefarkas]

such an inherently dangerous design

Boiling Water Reactors were commercialized by General Electric and licensed to several other manufacturers (Toshiba and Hitachi for example). Feedwater is run through the core and the steam produced is used to turn the turbine. This layout is considerably easier to control than the PWR you tried to describe in your post. There are over 30 BWRs in the United States.

[RobRoy]

I thought there was an interactive nuclear power plant game on the web, and I found it. Your comments reminded me of it.

Go here: http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/activities/nukeenergy/nuke.htm