Though both enriched uranium and plutonium can be used, the most common in enriched Uranium-235. The waste that comes from the reaction is a mix of elements (uranium, plutonium, etc)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate, control, and sustain a nuclear chain reaction. Nuclear power is energy produced from controlled nuclear reactions. When it comes to just standard fuel across the table it would have to be: Plutonium, Uranium, and Thorium.
Plutonium 239 is obtained in all reactors using uranium as nuclear fuel.
Uranium or Plutonium For reactor fuel any Transuranic element works fine.
Uranium (enriched in U-235), plutonium
Directly, no. Once fissioned the plutonium is gone (it has transformed to other lighter elements). However indirectly using a breeder reactor, yes. A plutonium fueled breeder reactor with a uranium breeding blanket will produce more plutonium (from uranium-238) than it consumes. This breeder reactor can at the same time be generating electricity like any other power reactor.
Yes. Uranium is used as the "fuel" for the reactor. Some reactors also use Plutonium or a mixture of Plutonium and Uranium as fuel. Plutonium does not occur naturally in any great quantity on Earth but it is produced as a waste product by civil nuclear reactors and in quite large quantities by some reactor designs where the production of weapons grade Plutonium was one of their primary design objectives.
Plutonium
The chief one is uranium, which is found naturally and mined for new fuel. Another is plutonium which is formed from uranium during reactor operation.
Mainly Plutonium fuel. They are usually started on highly enriched uranium (i.e., weapons grade) fuel, with a breeding blanket of depleted uranium surrounding the core. Over time the breeding blanket is periodically changed and the old one reprocessed to extract plutonium; which is used to make replacement fuel for the reactor (and sometimes others). So the reactor starts on uranium fuel and each time the fuel is replaced it transitions gradually to plutonium fuel. It is also possible to tune a breeder reactor to operate as a plutonium burner (without breeding new fuel). Such a reactor would burn plutonium only. This has been suggested as an effective means of disposing of the current "excess" of plutonium removed from retired nuclear weapons.
fuel
Robert Civiak has written: 'Nuclear fusion power' -- subject(s): Nuclear energy, Nuclear fusion 'Breeder reactors' -- subject(s): Breeder reactors, Nuclear industry, Nuclear reactors 'Improved uranium utilization in once-through light water reactors' -- subject(s): Light water reactors, Technological innovations, Uranium as fuel 'Plutonium economics and Japan's nuclear fuel cycle policies' -- subject(s): Nuclear fuels, Plutonium, Reactor fuel reprocessing 'Economics of plutonium use in light water reactors' -- subject(s): Costs, Economic aspects of Plutonium as fuel, Economic aspects of Uranium as fuel, Light water reactors, Nuclear fuels, Plutonium as fuel, Reactor fuel reprocessing, Uranium as fuel 'Uranium enrichment' -- subject(s): Economic aspects of Nuclear energy, Nuclear energy, Uranium enrichment 'Nuclear power' -- subject(s): Nuclear energy, Technological innovations 'Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generation' -- subject(s): Electric power production, Magnetohydrodynamic generation, Magnetohydrodynamics
Uranium and/or Plutonium fuel