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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.
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Why moderator is not used in case of fast breeder reactor?
Moderator is not used in case of fast breeder reactor because there is no need to slow down neutron energy. Nuclear fission takes place at high energy of neutrons.
Which elements are used for nuclear reactors in India?
Uranium. There is some interest in using thorium in the future. Thorium cannot be used directly as fuel in a reactor as it does not fission, it requires a fast breeder reactor to convert it to Uranium-233 which does fission.
In a breeder reactor a. Plutonium is converted into uranium or b. Uranium is converted into plutonium?
Uranium. A breeder reactor can use either Uranium, Plutonium, or mixed Transuranic elements for fuel. Depleted Uranium or Thorium is used as the breeding blanket. Periodically the breeding blanket is changed: the old one reprocessed to make new fuel.
Does a breeder reactor use uranium as a fuel?
Yes, it usually does. The new fuel is Plutonium (or sometimes Uranium-233 if Thorium was used in the blanket instead of Uranium). It is possible to configure a Breeder to consume more fuel than it is given, this has been considered one way to destroy excess weapons grade Plutonium.
Is plutonium reusable?
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.
Why moderator is not used in case of fast breeder reactor?
Moderator is not used in case of fast breeder reactor because there is no need to slow down neutron energy. Nuclear fission takes place at high energy of neutrons.
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.
Which type of pump is used to pump liquid metal in fast breeder reactor?
GEAR
Which elements are used for nuclear reactors in India?
Uranium. There is some interest in using thorium in the future. Thorium cannot be used directly as fuel in a reactor as it does not fission, it requires a fast breeder reactor to convert it to Uranium-233 which does fission.
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.
Which coolant is used in kalpakkam nuclear power plant?
Sodium is used as a coolant in kalpakkam nuclear power plant for Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor.
Location of prototype fast breeder reactor?
The advantage is mainly that more active fuel can be created than is used, so getting 'something for nothing'. However experimental reactors such as the sodium cooled fast reactor at Dounreay in Scotland have proved very difficult in practice, with material problems, and as far as I know such experiments are in abeyance at the moment.
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 breeder reactor a. Plutonium is converted into uranium or b. Uranium is converted into plutonium?
Uranium. A breeder reactor can use either Uranium, Plutonium, or mixed Transuranic elements for fuel. Depleted Uranium or Thorium is used as the breeding blanket. Periodically the breeding blanket is changed: the old one reprocessed to make new fuel.
Which uranium is used in a breeder reactor?
Uranium-238 can be used efficiently in breeder reactors; plutonium is obtained and Pu is a fissile material in situ.
Breeder reactors are used to convert?
Breeder reactors are used to convert fertile fuel into fissile fuel.
What happens in a breeder reactor?
A breeder reactor is a type of power reactor that operates without a moderator to slow the neutrons. This requires either Uranium fuel enriched to at least 20% Uranium-235 or Plutonium fuel to operate at critical without Uranium-238 in the core capturing the fast neutrons and stopping the chain reaction. Most breeder reactors use a liquid metal coolant (water is both coolant and moderator so it cannot be used) like liquid Sodium, NaK, or Mercury in their primary loop. The core of a breeder reactor is surrounded with a "breeding blanket" of either natural or depleted Uranium plates. The Uranium-238 in this blanket captures neutrons escaping the core and "breeds" Plutonium and other transuranic elements. Periodically plates of the "breeding blanket" are replaced and processed to extract the Plutonium and sometimes other transuranics to make new fuel for that reactor and other reactors. A well tuned breeder reactor can make several times the nuclear fuel it consumes in its lifetime.There was discussion some years back of using significantly detuned breeder reactors to rapidly destroy the excess of weapons grade Uranium and Plutonium resulting from dismantling of weapons retired due to treaty limits. Not much seems to have happened with that idea.
