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Q: What happens when bundles of fuel rods are bombarded by neutrons?
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What part of the nuclear reactor is the fuel located in?

The nuclear fuel is found in the fuel rods. These fuel rods are formed into fuel bundles called fuel assemblies, and together they make up the reactor core.


In what part of a nuclear reactor is the fuel is located?

Fuel in a nuclear reactor is located in the core of the reactor. It is there that the fuel, which is sealed (welded) inside plates or tubes, is situated in fuel bundles.


What happens if a nuclear chain reaction is not controlled?

The reactor fuel would overheat, melt, and fall apart.


How do nuclear fuel rods work?

Usually, the rods themselves are made of Uranium-238. The fuel inside the rods is Uranium-235, which is highly fissionable. The Uranium-238 is very heavy, and slows down the neutrons so that they can properly strike the U-235 atoms.


A picture of an element?

Fuel elements for PWR and BWR are described here (from Wikipedia) There is a picture shown but pictures don't reproduce on Wikianswers. Pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel consists of cylindrical rods put into bundles. A uranium oxide ceramic is formed into pellets and inserted into Zircaloy tubes that are bundled together. The Zircaloy tubes are about 1 cm in diameter, and the fuel cladding gap is filled with helium gas to improve the conduction of heat from the fuel to the cladding. There are about 179-264 fuel rods per fuel bundle and about 121 to 193 fuel bundles are loaded into a reactor core. Generally, the fuel bundles consist of fuel rods bundled 14x14 to 17x17. PWR fuel bundles are about 4 meters in length. In PWR fuel bundles, control rods are inserted through the top directly into the fuel bundle. The fuel bundles usually are enriched several percent in 235U. The uranium oxide is dried before inserting into the tubes to try to eliminate moisture in the ceramic fuel that can lead to corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement. The Zircaloy tubes are pressurized with helium to try to minimize pellet cladding interaction (PCI) which can lead to fuel rod failure over long periods. In boiling water reactors (BWR), the fuel is similar to PWR fuel except that the bundles are "canned"; that is, there is a thin tube surrounding each bundle. This is primarily done to prevent local density variations from effecting neutronics and thermal hydraulics of the nuclear core on a global scale. In modern BWR fuel bundles, there are either 91, 92, or 96 fuel rods per assembly depending on the manufacturer. A range between 368 assemblies for the smallest and 800 assemblies for the largest U.S. BWR forms the reactor core. Each BWR fuel rod is back filled with helium to a pressure of about three atmospheres (300 kPa).

Related questions

What happens when fuel rods are bombarded by neutrons?

radiation damage


What is a fuel rod?

A nuclear fuel rod is a tube filled with nuclear fuel. The tube part is made of material that allows neutrons to pass freely through, so the fuel can undergo reaction unhindered. The rods are put together in groups called bundles, which are attached together so they can be handled together. There is a link below to the section in an article on nuclear fuel that explains the fuel rods. Pictures are there as well.


What bathes the control rods and fuel bundles of the nuclear reactor?

Perhaps you mean the water that acts as moderator and fuel coolant


What part of the nuclear reactor is the fuel located in?

The nuclear fuel is found in the fuel rods. These fuel rods are formed into fuel bundles called fuel assemblies, and together they make up the reactor core.


What is used to bathe the control rods and fuel bundles of the nuclear reactor?

Heavy water


In what part of a nuclear reactor is the fuel is located?

Fuel in a nuclear reactor is located in the core of the reactor. It is there that the fuel, which is sealed (welded) inside plates or tubes, is situated in fuel bundles.


What happens if a nuclear chain reaction is not controlled?

The reactor fuel would overheat, melt, and fall apart.


How do nuclear fuel rods work?

Usually, the rods themselves are made of Uranium-238. The fuel inside the rods is Uranium-235, which is highly fissionable. The Uranium-238 is very heavy, and slows down the neutrons so that they can properly strike the U-235 atoms.


What is η?

It is the thermal regeneration factor. It is greater than one. It is ratio of neutrons generated in the fuel to the absorbed neutrons.


A picture of an element?

Fuel elements for PWR and BWR are described here (from Wikipedia) There is a picture shown but pictures don't reproduce on Wikianswers. Pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel consists of cylindrical rods put into bundles. A uranium oxide ceramic is formed into pellets and inserted into Zircaloy tubes that are bundled together. The Zircaloy tubes are about 1 cm in diameter, and the fuel cladding gap is filled with helium gas to improve the conduction of heat from the fuel to the cladding. There are about 179-264 fuel rods per fuel bundle and about 121 to 193 fuel bundles are loaded into a reactor core. Generally, the fuel bundles consist of fuel rods bundled 14x14 to 17x17. PWR fuel bundles are about 4 meters in length. In PWR fuel bundles, control rods are inserted through the top directly into the fuel bundle. The fuel bundles usually are enriched several percent in 235U. The uranium oxide is dried before inserting into the tubes to try to eliminate moisture in the ceramic fuel that can lead to corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement. The Zircaloy tubes are pressurized with helium to try to minimize pellet cladding interaction (PCI) which can lead to fuel rod failure over long periods. In boiling water reactors (BWR), the fuel is similar to PWR fuel except that the bundles are "canned"; that is, there is a thin tube surrounding each bundle. This is primarily done to prevent local density variations from effecting neutronics and thermal hydraulics of the nuclear core on a global scale. In modern BWR fuel bundles, there are either 91, 92, or 96 fuel rods per assembly depending on the manufacturer. A range between 368 assemblies for the smallest and 800 assemblies for the largest U.S. BWR forms the reactor core. Each BWR fuel rod is back filled with helium to a pressure of about three atmospheres (300 kPa).


What subatomic particle is in atoms fuel?

You think probable to neutrons.


Are the control rods part of the fuel assemblies in nuclear reactors?

No, control rods are not a part of the fuel assemblies in nuclear reactors. They are separate "pieces" in the core, and essentially fit in "spaces" between fuel bundles.