The impotent part of a nuclear power plant is the reactor itself. This is because the fission process takes place in the reactor. There are many different types of reactors which uses many different types of technology's to ensure the fission process is in its optimum performance and it is safe enough to contain the radiation of the fission products. The reactor technology has been improved drastically since the 1950's. These improvement is categorized into few categories according to the year the reactor generation is introduced. From the year 1950 - 1965 were the Generation I reactors (early prototypes), 1965 - 1995 Generation II reactors (commercial reactors used in most of the current nuclear power plant), 1995 -2010 Generation III (Evolutionary reactors), 2010 - 2030 (Evolutionary III+ reactors) and finally 2030 onward there is the Generation IV reactors which can produce hydrogen as the its by product.
In the Nuclear reactors which are available today are categorized in to almost 4 major types of reactors. Which are; the most comment reactor the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). Next is the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor.(ABWR). Other than that there is the Advance Gas Cooled reactor (AGR). Then finally we have the Presurized Heavy Water Reactor or simply the CANDU Reactor.
The table below show the types of Generation III reactors available in the market currently and their details.
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