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By using excess fast neutrons to convert Uranium-238 in a breeding blanket surrounding the core into a mixture of Plutonium isotopes, which can be extracted and made into new fuel pellets. Breeder reactors do not contain a moderator to slow the neutrons to thermal speeds, therefore they must use highly enriched Uranium-235 fuel (20% to 95% aka weapons grade uranium) to maintain criticality. The reaction is as follows:
- U238 + n --> U239 : capture
- U239 --> Np239 + e- : beta decay, HL 23.5 minutes
- Np239 --> Pu239 + e- : beta decay, HL 2.33 days
- Pu239 + n --> Pu240 : capture
- Pu240 + n --> Pu241 : capture
- Pu241 + n --> Pu242 : capture
The longer the breeding blanket is kept in the reactor, the more of isotopes Pu240, Pu241, and Pu242 are produced and the less suitable the Plutonium is for use in weapons. Operated properly a breeder reactor converts weapons grade fuel to fuel unsuitable for use in weapons while converting much of the 99.3% of natural Uranium that is unsuitable for reactor fuel to mixed isotope Plutonium (and other transuranics), an excellent reactor fuel.
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What are fuel cells in a neclear reactor?
Fuel cells are an important part of a nuclear reactor. The component that powers the nuclear reactor is the reactor core and the fuel cells are found inside and hold uranium dioxide.
Can a nuclear reactor make more fuel than it uses?
Yes, a type of fast neutron (without a moderator) reactor called a breeder reactor can make plutonium fuel much faster than it consumes uranium fuel. If fueled with plutonium fuel instead of uranium fuel, it also makes more plutonium fuel than it consumes.But all other reactor types are unable to do this (even though they all make some plutonium during operation).Note: a slight variant of a breeder reactor sometimes called a burner reactor is designed to rapidly fission all actinides (elements from actinium up through all transuranics) to eliminate long lived isotopes from nuclear waste.
What part of a nuclear reactor would most likely contain plutonium?
This part is the core of the nuclear reactor containing the nuclear fuel.
What is a fuel rod in a nuclear reactor?
kerosene
What is the name of the fuel used in the nuclear reactor?
Uranium
How are breeder reactors and nuclear reactor different?
The breeder reactor produce more fissile fuel than what is consumed while this is not the case for other nuclear reactors.
How are breeder reactors different from regular nuclear reactors?
A breeder reactor generates (in a way) new fuel, sometimes more fuel than it uses, by converting non-fissionable isotopes into fissionable isotopes, through neutron capture.
How does one use a breeder reactor?
It would be used as a more efficient version of a Nuclear Reactor. While a regular nuclear reactor requires almost a factor of 100 greater in fuel amounts, a Breeder reactor uses much less and produces less waste.
What is a type of reactor that produces electricity but in doing so creates new nuclear fuel?
A breeder reactor. You actually get more plutonium out of it than you put in.
What is the working principle of thorium based fast breeder reactor?
thorium is breed to make uranium-233 fuel
What are their advantages and disadvantages of Nuclear and Breeder Reactors?
You can't compare and contrast nuclear reactors and breeder reactors, any more than you can compare a lion with a mammal. A lion is one example of many mammals; a breeder reactor is just one example of many types of nuclear reactor.
What is Thorium breeder reacter?
In this type of nuclear reactor the fertile isotope thorium-232 is transformed in the fissile isotope uranium-233 and this act as a nuclear fuel.
What is done with the Pu 239 from a fast breeder reactor?
The idea is to use it for nuclear fuel in other reactors, this is why it is called a breeder process. Uranium-238 which is not fissile is converted to Pu-239 in the breeder reactor, but of course there is a chemical separation process to go through before the Pu is available.
In what part of a nuclear reactor is the fuel is located?
Fuel in a nuclear reactor is located in the core of the reactor. It is there that the fuel, which is sealed (welded) inside plates or tubes, is situated in fuel bundles.
What are fuel cells in a neclear reactor?
Fuel cells are an important part of a nuclear reactor. The component that powers the nuclear reactor is the reactor core and the fuel cells are found inside and hold uranium dioxide.
Can a nuclear reactor make more fuel than it uses?
Yes, a type of fast neutron (without a moderator) reactor called a breeder reactor can make plutonium fuel much faster than it consumes uranium fuel. If fueled with plutonium fuel instead of uranium fuel, it also makes more plutonium fuel than it consumes.But all other reactor types are unable to do this (even though they all make some plutonium during operation).Note: a slight variant of a breeder reactor sometimes called a burner reactor is designed to rapidly fission all actinides (elements from actinium up through all transuranics) to eliminate long lived isotopes from nuclear waste.
What is nuclear reactor kinetics?
Nuclear reactor kinetics is the branch of reactor engineering and reactor physics and control that deals with long term time changes in reactor fuel and nuclear reactors.
