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The advantage of heavy water as coolant over light water in pressurized reactors?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
In the CANDU reactor heavy water is used as the moderator. It is a much better moderator than light water because it does not absorb neutrons so strongly, and enables non-enriched uranium to be used. The heavy water moderator is enclosed in a tank with fuel channel tubes, called technically a calandria. The coolant is also heavy water which flows through the tubes and hence past the fuel elements, and then transfers its heat to a light water secondary circuit. In a PWR or BWR light water is used both as moderator and coolant, which is obviously much cheaper and less complicated, but does require uranium enriched in U-235.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoHeavy water absorbs fewer neutrons than light water, so it enables natural uranium to be used without enrichment. In Candu reactors it is used as moderator in a separate calandria tank, as well as coolant.
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Why is only heavy water used as coolant for nuclear energy and can you use any other coolant used replacing D2O?
Many pressurized water reactors use "regular" water (light water) as a primay coolant. That means that "only heavy water" is not a rule as regards reactor design. Reactor design specifies the coolant to be used.
How heavy water is used to make plutonium from uranium?
Heavy water is used in nuclear reactors as moderator for neutrons.
What are the uses of carbon heavy water and concrete in the nuclear reactor?
Carbon in the form of graphite is used in some types of reactors as the moderator*.Heavy water is used in some types of reactors as the moderator*.Light water is used in some types of reactors as the moderator*.Light water is used in most current types of reactors as coolant and in the form of steam to drive the turbines.Liquid metals (Sodium, NaK, Mercury, etc.) are used in some types of reactors as coolant.Concrete, often borated concrete to absorb neutrons better, is used in reactors as radiation shielding.*Moderator: a material that slows highly energetic fission neutrons rapidly to thermal energies to prevent their capture by Uranium-238 and increase their chance of causing more fissions of Uranium-235 to keep the reactor running.
What are the functions of the deuterium and tritium atoms in nuclear reactors?
All current nuclear reactors are fission reactors, tritium has no function in a fission reactor, in standard water moderated reactors deuterium also has no function, in heavy water moderated reactors deuterium is the moderator. If we are ever able to make a fusion reactor, deuterium/tritium mix will be used as fuel.
What is heavy water used for?
Heavy water is used in making hydrogen bombs.
Why is only heavy water used as coolant for nuclear energy and can you use any other coolant used replacing D2O?
Many pressurized water reactors use "regular" water (light water) as a primay coolant. That means that "only heavy water" is not a rule as regards reactor design. Reactor design specifies the coolant to be used.
What is the most common coolant used in nuclear reactors?
The most common coolant used in nuclear reactors is water. There are light water reactors (using "regular" water), and the heavy water kind of reactor.
What has the author L Karner written?
L Karner has written: 'RELAP5/MOD3.2 post test calculation of the PKL-experiment PKLIII-B4.3' -- subject(s): Computer simulation, Control, Steam generating heavy water reactors, Pressurized water reactors
What is a nuclear reaction coolant?
Presumably you mean nuclear reactor coolant? This is the fluid that transfers the reactor thermal output to the steam raising units in a PWR, or to the turbine in a BWR, in which cases it is natural water. Gas cooled reactors can use carbon dioxide or helium, and CANDU reactors use heavy water.
What is the coolant used in kalpakkam power station in India?
Kalpakkam has both Thermal reactor (Madras Atomic Power Station) and Fast Breeder Reactor -FBTR and PFBR (Under construction). In MAPS (thermal reactor) it is Heavy Water (D2O) Which acts as a coolant as well as moderator, where as in Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) and Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) Sodium (Na) is used as coolant. Since there should not any moderators for fast reactors D2O will not be used as coolant in fast reactors.
How heavy water is used to make plutonium from uranium?
Heavy water is used in nuclear reactors as moderator for neutrons.
What are the uses of carbon heavy water and concrete in the nuclear reactor?
Carbon in the form of graphite is used in some types of reactors as the moderator*.Heavy water is used in some types of reactors as the moderator*.Light water is used in some types of reactors as the moderator*.Light water is used in most current types of reactors as coolant and in the form of steam to drive the turbines.Liquid metals (Sodium, NaK, Mercury, etc.) are used in some types of reactors as coolant.Concrete, often borated concrete to absorb neutrons better, is used in reactors as radiation shielding.*Moderator: a material that slows highly energetic fission neutrons rapidly to thermal energies to prevent their capture by Uranium-238 and increase their chance of causing more fissions of Uranium-235 to keep the reactor running.
Nuclear power plants require large volumes of what to cool reactors and convert heat to electricity?
Nuclear power plants require large volumes of water to cool reactors and convert heat to electricity. Reactors use normal water, heavy water, and even newer reactors use other forms of coolant.
Most of the world's nuclear reactors are of the type?
Most are lightwater moderated and cooled, these are the PWR and BWR. There also a substantial number of heavy water reactors, based on CANDU, and gas cooled reactors mainly now in the UK.
Can nuclear reactors be used in spaceships to power them?
Very doubtful, they would be too heavy I think
What is used as an efficient moderator in a majority of reactors?
Light water (H2O) and heavy water (D2O)
What has the author Evelyn K Sokolowski written?
Evelyn K. Sokolowski has written: 'Spectral parameters in water-moderated latices' -- subject(s): Exponential measurements, Heavy water reactors 'Epithermal and thermal spectrum indices in heavy water lattices' -- subject(s): Exponential measurements, Heavy water reactors
