Plain-English definitions of power-plant and reactor technology terms.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG) | A heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG) is a large heat exchanger that captures hot exhaust… |
| Combined-cycle power plant (CCGT) | A combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant combines a gas turbine and a steam turbine: exha… |
| Pressurized-water reactor (PWR) | A pressurized-water reactor (PWR) is the most common type of nuclear reactor. Water kept u… |
| Nuclear reactor build time | Reactor build time is the period from the start of construction to first grid connection. … |
| Open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) | An open-cycle (simple-cycle) gas turbine burns fuel to spin a turbine and exhausts the hot… |
| Boiling-water reactor (BWR) | A boiling-water reactor generates steam directly inside the reactor vessel, which then dri… |
| Supercritical & ultra-supercritical coal | Supercritical and ultra-supercritical coal plants run steam above its critical point (~221… |
| Gas turbine | A gas turbine burns fuel (usually natural gas) in compressed air to spin a turbine and gen… |
| Steam turbine | A steam turbine converts high-pressure steam into rotating shaft power. It is the core of … |
| Combined heat & power (CHP / cogeneration) | A combined-heat-and-power (cogeneration) plant produces electricity and useful heat from t… |
| Integrated water & power plant (IWPP) | An integrated water and power plant co-produces electricity and desalinated water: steam e… |
| Capacity factor | Capacity factor is the share of a plant's maximum possible output that it actually deliver… |
| Carbon capture & storage (CCS) | Carbon capture and storage removes CO₂ from a power plant's exhaust and stores it un… |
