Nuclear versus conventional steam power stations Compare a nuclear power plant with a conventional coal-fired steam power station. The principal difference lies only in the steam-generating section that supplies energy to the working fluid. Assess this statement.

Introduction / Context:
Both nuclear and conventional thermal power plants use a heat source to raise steam, expand it through a turbine, and convert thermal energy into electricity via a generator. This question asks whether the fundamental difference is limited to the heat source (steam generator/boiler section).

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Downstream equipment: steam turbine, condenser, feedwater system, and generator are broadly similar.
• Nuclear plant uses a reactor as the heat source; a coal plant uses a boiler fired by fossil fuel.
• Focus is on thermodynamic cycle hardware rather than nuclear-specific safety systems.

Concept / Approach:
Thermodynamically, both plants implement the Rankine cycle. The major change is the primary heat generation method: chemical combustion in boilers versus nuclear fission in reactors with associated heat exchangers (steam generators) or direct steam production. Auxiliary systems such as control, shielding, and safety are unique to nuclear plants, but the turbine island is largely the same.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify cycle commonality: Rankine cycle with similar turbine–condenser–feedwater trains.Identify the difference: reactor core plus steam generator replaces the coal-fired boiler.Therefore, the principal thermodynamic difference is indeed the steam-generating part.

Verification / Alternative check:
Plant layouts show a “nuclear island” (reactor and safety systems) feeding a conventional “turbine island.”

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Disagree: ignores the shared turbine-condenser-generator architecture.
• Conditions about specific reactor types or gas turbines are irrelevant to the basic comparison.

Common Pitfalls:
Conflating thermodynamic equipment with unique nuclear safety and control systems. The statement is thermodynamic-equipment centric.

Final Answer:
Agree