Which of the two main types of reactor design are the following? What is the assumption made by the linear non-threshold (LNT) dose-response model? In a coal-fired power plant heat energy is produced by burning coal, and then used for boiling water to produce steam. Where does the heat energy come from in the nuclear reactor? Solution The first one is Boiling Water Nuclear Reactor. The second one is Pressurised Water Nuclear Reactor. The LINEAR NO-THRESHOLD MODEL (LNT) is a model used in radiation protection to estimate the long-term, biological damage caused by ionizing radiation. It assumes that the damage is directly proportional to the dose of radiation, at all dose levels. Nuclear power plants use heat produced during nuclear fission to heat water. In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. Fission takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant. At the center of the reactor is the core, which contains uranium fuel. The heat produced during nuclear fission in the reactor core is used to boil water into steam, which turns the turbine blades. As the turbine blades turn, they drive generators that make electricity. Afterward, the steam is cooled back into water in a separate structure at the power plant called a cooling tower. .