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Yes, chain reactions take place in nuclear reactors. In a nuclear reactor, the chain reaction involves the splitting of uranium atoms (fission) which releases energy and more neutrons, leading to further fission reactions. Control rods are used to regulate and maintain the chain reaction at a steady rate.
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What is meant by chain reaction in nuclear reactor?
Basically a chain reaction (nuclear or chemical) is a self sustaining auto-catalytic reaction.In a nuclear reactor it is a neutron chain reaction, where each neutron released in every fission event can trigger another fission event. In a nuclear reactor the excess neutrons must be disposed of, which is the purpose of the control rods so that the reaction can be kept at some desired constant rate.
What part of the reactor contains nuclear fuel?
The nuclear fuel is typically contained in the reactor core, which is a central part of the nuclear reactor where the fission reaction takes place. The fuel rods, which contain the nuclear fuel pellets, are inserted into the reactor core during operation.
What type of reaction take place in a nuclear reactor?
Nuclear fission, not to be confused with fusion.
How could you increase the rate of fission reactions?
Fission does not respond to changes in temperature and pressure like chemical reactions do. In a nuclear reactor, the fission chain reaction can be sped up by removing rods of cadmium, which absorb neutrons. These are in place to prevent the reaction from occurring too quickly. Remove them, and the chain reaction may proceed out of control.
What can happen when a fission chain reaction gets out of control?
A chain reaction has products or byproducts that cause the reaction to continue. One example is a state of nuclear critical mass, in which an atom of u-235 decays to produce fast neutrons (along with other fission fragments), which crash into other u-235 atoms, which release more neutrons. The number of neutrons in the environment increases, and if this is not controlled, then there is a nuclear explosion. That is how an atomic bomb works. Another example is a state of instability in snow on a mountain side. If snow begins to move at the top of the mountain, it pushes the snow below it to give way, this pushes the snow below it to give way in turn, going down the mountainside until the snow runs out or the mountain levels out. This is an avalanche. Another example is a situation where the electric grid is overloaded to the point of instability. A failure in a transformer can cause a power surge that causes another failure, this causes other power surges in other places, resulting in other failures. This produces widespread power outage. Chain reactions continue until some sort of equilibrium is attained, or until the unstable features of the situation have lost their energy. In human terms, the results are often destructive or at least dangerous.
What is the part of a nuclear reactor called where the nuclear reaction takes place?
The part of a nuclear reactor where the nuclear reaction takes place is called the reactor core. It typically contains the fuel rods, control rods, and coolant necessary for sustaining and controlling the nuclear reaction.
What is the purpose of a reaction chamber in a nuclear reactor?
The reaction chamber in a nuclear reactor is where the nuclear fission process takes place, leading to the release of energy. It contains the nuclear fuel and control rods that regulate the reaction. The purpose of the reaction chamber is to sustain and control the nuclear chain reaction that generates heat to produce electricity in a controlled manner.
What is meant by chain reaction in nuclear reactor?
Basically a chain reaction (nuclear or chemical) is a self sustaining auto-catalytic reaction.In a nuclear reactor it is a neutron chain reaction, where each neutron released in every fission event can trigger another fission event. In a nuclear reactor the excess neutrons must be disposed of, which is the purpose of the control rods so that the reaction can be kept at some desired constant rate.
What part of the reactor contains nuclear fuel?
The nuclear fuel is typically contained in the reactor core, which is a central part of the nuclear reactor where the fission reaction takes place. The fuel rods, which contain the nuclear fuel pellets, are inserted into the reactor core during operation.
What part of the nuclear powerplant does the chain reaction occur?
The chain reaction in a nuclear power plant occurs in the reactor core, where nuclear fission reactions take place. Heat generated from these reactions is used to produce steam, which then drives turbines to generate electricity.
How is the number of neutrons in an assembly involved in creating a sustained nuclear chain reaction?
This answer can not be accurately answered without first knowing what type of nuclear reactor it is. A pressurized-water nuclear reactor is probably the most common so I'll briefly talk about some factors that affect the number of chain reactions in that type of nuclear reactor. First of all, the temperature of the water entering the reactor core will affect the number of chain reactions. The colder the water, the greater the number of reactions. This is primarily because the colder water is more dense and thus releases more neutrons which speeds up the chain reaction rate. Of course, reactor operators, wishing to control the number of chain reactions in order to make the reactor stable may raise or lower "rods" which will be made of a material that tends to absorb neutrons and thus lowering the chain reaction rate. These are the two most common factors affecting chain reaction rate. Would delve further into this question but it gets rather complicated at this point.
What is the part of a nuclear power plant that undergoes a fission reaction?
The uranium 235 atoms in the nuclear fuel are what actually fission, or split into two other atoms. The uranium is in ceramic fuel pellets that are inserted into fuel rods, that make up fuel elements, that are in the reactor core that is located in the reactor vessel of the nuclear power plant. After the fuel has been in the reactor it begins to produce plutonium 239 atoms within the fuel which will also undergo a fission reaction.
What is the place where controlled nuclear fission reactions take place?
The place where controlled nuclear fission reactions take place is called a nuclear reactor. In a nuclear reactor, uranium atoms are split in a controlled manner to produce heat energy, which is used to generate electricity.
How is a chain reactor controlled?
Since the continued chain reaction of a nuclear fission reactor depends upon at least one neutron from each fission being absorbed by another fissionable nucleus, the reaction can be controlled by using control rods of material which absorbs neutrons. Cadmium and boron are strong neutron absorbers and are the most common materials used in control rods. A typical neutron absorption reaction in boron is In the operation of a nuclear reactor, fuel assemblies are put into place and then the control rods are slowly lifted until a chain reaction can just be sustained. As the reaction proceeds, the number of uranium-235 nuclei decreases and fission by- products which absorb neutrons build up. To keep the chain reaction going, the control rods must be withdrawn further. At some point, the chain reaction cannot be maintained and the fuel must be replenished
What type of energy does nuclear power plants start with?
Nuclear power plants are self starting because there is always a small number of fissions taking place in the uranium fuel, so as soon as the reactor is made critical by withdrawing the control rods the chain reaction starts.
In what part of a nuclear reactor is the fuel is located?
The fuel in a nuclear reactor is located in the fuel rods, which are typically made of materials such as enriched uranium or plutonium. These fuel rods are where the nuclear fission reaction takes place, producing heat that is used to generate electricity.
What happens inside a a nuclear reactor?
Inside a nuclear reactor, controlled nuclear fission occurs. This process produces heat, which is used to generate steam. The steam then drives turbines connected to generators, producing electricity. Heat removal systems and control mechanisms are in place to regulate the reaction.
