0
During normal operation, reactor coolant is not high radioactive. Otherwise it could not be transformed into steam that goes directly to turbines in Boiling Water Reactors.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why helium is used as coolant in nuclear gas reactor?
due to its high thermal conductivity and also its inert nature prevent the absorption of the radioactive ions
Why does a nuclear reactor have two coolant loops?
The primary loop is exposed to the radioactivity of the reactor, and so becomes radioactive itself. The secondary loop is not radioactive, and may be more exposed to the environment.
Does the water used to cool a nuclear reactor get contaminated?
In a properly operating nuclear reactor, water used to cool the reactor is not contaminated. This water, called primary coolant, is quite pure. And after shutdown and cooldown, the water has little radiation in it. But if the reactor has some malfunction that overheats the fuel, fuel elements can rupture or melt (a meltdown) and fission products, which are hightly radioactive, can be released into the coolant (the water). The water is then contaminated.
Are radioactive isotopes produced in a nuclear reactor?
They can be, depending on the reactor design.
What are the main advantage of a fusion reactor compared to a fission reactor?
It doesn't produce radioactive byproducts.
Why is a coolant important in a nuclear reactor?
yes
How does a nuclear reactor eliminate heat?
Heat is eliminated through use of reactor coolant passing over the nuclear fuel in the primary coolant loops.
Why would a fusion reactor produce less radioactive waste than a fission reactor?
In my understanding, this is because a fusion reactor reacts deuterium to produce helium, which is not radioactive, whereas a fission uses uranium or plutonium, for example, which may react to form various radioactive isotopes. A fusion reactor may contain small quantities of tritium, in which case a radioactive isotope of hydrogen may be produced, but given that the majority of reactions occurring involve solely the deuterium, there is less radioactive waste produced.
What is the radioactive element which is a by product of a nuclear reactor?
neptunium and plutonium
Why is reactor coolant water kept contained in the primary loop instead of allowing it to mix with the feed water and leave through the cooling tower?
Reactor cooling water is potentially contaminated with radioactive elements and you don't want those to be released into the environment, so it is kept in the primary loop.
What happens if a nuclear reactor is not cooled?
A nuclear reactor generates heat by controlled nuclear fission. Primary coolant carries this heat away to make steam. If a reactor is not cooled, it will overheat. Even if it is shut down immediately, the radioactive fragments of fission in the core will still be undergoing radioactive decay. This will continue to generate a lot of what we call decay heat. This heat can be sufficient to melt the metal that forms the fuel elements if cooling is not maintained, and the result is a nuclear meltdown with various consequences.
What is the radioactive metal used in nuclear reactor?
Uranium is the most common.
