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Based on current events and researched gathered by IAEA: an exposed core, with unusable fail safes (to cool the reactors) as well as assuming staff are continually dosing the external housing with a coolent (i.e. salt water), you may believe it may take just a number of days to advert a nuclear catastrophe and cool down the reactor, right? Unfortunatley, the reality looks very grim. Without a proper circulation of coolent WITHIN the reactor, the build-up of hydrogen atoms and water vapor would expose the fuel-rods that would create am imminent partial-meltdown, assuming all fail safes are still non-functional/ Unlike chernoybl, technology has improved greatly, however, the heat generated from the fuel rods are capable to slice through the housing similar to that of melted butter exposing the core to the atmosphere. (i.e. Swiss cheese) Assuming the worse, an individual reactor in no way could generate the same nuclear fall-out as Chernoybl, however, with four reactors on the verge of a partial-meltdown and assuming these cores are exposed to the atmospehere in a partial-meltdown the catasrophe would be similar to that of chernoybl. The time frame you can expect a disaster of this magnitude to be adverted would be roughly * 2 - 4 weeks depending. However, you can expect the nuclear fall-out to be contained not anytime soon. If I were to make an educated guess with the clean-up process and containment, you would be looking at roughly 1 year. Worse case scenario would contaminate an area the size of the state of Maine, USA partiallu unusable for hundreds of thousands of years.* This worse case scenario would be approx half as destructive as Chernobyl.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoBoron rods are used to absorb neutrons that have been released from fission reactions, this stops the neutrons to cause more reactions and stops the meltdown of the plant. Water 'blankets' which are huge tanks around the reactor take away the heat from the reactor if it is too hot, however it is this heat that is used to turn the water to steam turning the turbines to produce the electricity.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoPressurized water reactors get coolant through circulating a reactor coolant over the nuclear fuel. This coolant could be light water, heavy water, CO2 , Helium, ...
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoUsually , pressurized water, CO2 and liquid sodium. Boron rods are also used as regulators
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How many watts is equal to one PWR?
According to the lists on the internet one pressurized water reactor can supply between 300 and 3000 Megawatts.
Does an operating nuclear reactor make a lot of sound?
The reactor itself does not make a lot of sound when operating. Nuclear fission is silent, but moving water in the core (in a pressurized water reactor) might be heard as it circulates. But it would not be easy to put your ear to the reactor vessel as radiation levels would be very high and the vessel would be very hot. Certainly the pumps that are running to circulate coolant will be audible.
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.
Different kinds of powerplant?
The main types of nuclear power plant in use in the world, and exclusively in the US are PWR (Pressurised Water Reactor) and BWR (Boiling Water Reactor) types. These use normal water as moderator and enriched uranium fuel. In Canada a heavy water moderated type of reactor has been successfully used and exported to several countries. In the UK gas cooled reactors have mainly been used, firstly the magnox type and latterly the AGR. Both use carbon dioxide cooling and graphite moderator. In Russia the RBMK type was developed which combined graphite moderating with water cooling. This type has been largely discontinued after Chernobyl. High temperature helium cooled reactors and fast reactors liquid metal cooled have been tried as prototypes but not commercially.
What are some nonexamples fo nuclear fission?
Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR), Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
Why it necessary to enclose the nuclear reactor at low pressure?
There is some sort of confusion here. There are two types of water moderated/cooled reactors: boiling water and pressurized water.The boiling water reactor is at normal atmospheric pressure and the water in the reactor boils, producing steam directly.The pressurized water reactor is at elevated pressure to prevent the water from boiling. A heat exchanger/steam generator is used to produce steam indirectly.Other types of reactor (e.g. liquid metal, gas cooled, organic, aqueous homogeneous) also do not operate at pressures below atmospheric.
Why is it necessary to enclose the nuclear reactor at low pressure?
There is some sort of confusion here. There are two types of water moderated/cooled reactors: boiling water and pressurized water.The boiling water reactor is at normal atmospheric pressure and the water in the reactor boils, producing steam directly.The pressurized water reactor is at elevated pressure to prevent the water from boiling. A heat exchanger/steam generator is used to produce steam indirectly.Other types of reactor (e.g. liquid metal, gas cooled, organic, aqueous homogeneous) also do not operate at pressures below atmospheric.
Are there more are there one type of nuclear reactor?
the boiling water reactor, pressurized water reactor, and the LMFB reactor
What are two types of reactors used in the US?
There are amny different types of reactors but the most commonly used ones are: PWR-Pressurized Water Reactor, this works by pressurizing the reactor allowing the water to boil at a much higher temperature allowing efficentcy to be higher. BWR-Boiling Water Reactor,this is the most basic type of reactor this reactor just boils water that turns turbines and produces electricity, however water levels and temperature have to be constantly monitored, otherwise a reactor could slip into a dangerous state. AGR-Advanced Gas Reactor, this reactor instead of being cooled by water it is instead cooled by pressurized carbon dioxide. FBR-Fast Breeder Reactor, this reactor instead of limiting fast neutrons to occur it allows fast neutrons in the reactor and in the act of doing it produces nuclear fuel that can be used to fuel the reactor.
In a pressurized water reactor the primary cooling water is?
In a pressurized water reactor the primary cooling water is under pressure of around 150 atm and its inlet temperature around 320 degree centigrade.
What temperature is nuclear reactor?
This is different in different reactor designs:boiling water reactors operate at the boiling temperature of water (100C)pressurized water reactors operate at over 300Cseveral types of very high temperature gas cooled reactors can operate at temperatures up to 1000C
How many steam generators are there in a pressurized water reactor?
6
What is the name of the coolant used in a pressurized water reactor?
Ordinary light water
In a pressurized water-reactor the primary cooling water?
Boils in the core and is used to turn the turbine
Why do you keep the Ph of moderator neutral in pressurized heavy water reactor?
This is done in order to limit corrosion of the internal reactor components
What happens to the primary cooling water in a pressurized water-reactor?
It evaporates into the atmosphere using a cooling tower.
Where will the next nuclear power plant be?
It will be on Lake Anna in North Anna Virginia. It will be of the economic simplified pressurized water reactor type. Owned by Dominion Resources. It will be on Lake Anna in North Anna Virginia. It will be of the economic simplified pressurized water reactor type. Owned by Dominion Resources.
