What is the type of energy contained in fuels?

Answer 1

Power stations using nuclear fuel (Uranium) all rely on the process of fission to produce heat which can then be used to drive steam turbines. The uranium, which has to be extracted and purified from ore before being made into fuel rods, has the property of fissioning (which is just another name for splitting) when exposed to a flux of neutrons in a reactor. The uranium nucleus splits into other elements (fission products) and also heat is released in every fission, which is transferred by a coolant (water or gas) to steam raising units.

In the sun, and other stars, the heat producing process is nuclear fusion, not fission.

This process has been produced in the H-bomb on earth, but no method of turning it into a safe controllable process has yet been devised.

Answer 2

The active part of the fuel is Uranium 235. Natural Uranium is mostly 238, and to obtain fuel which will allow a fission chain reaction to take place, the amount of 235 has to be increased, to about 3-4 percent, depending on the type of reactor, and what sort of moderator is used.

The fuel is made into rods which are enclosed (clad) with a material to suit the type of coolant used in the reactor. Water reactors use an alloy of zirconium, gas cooled reactors as used in the UK use stainless steel cladding. An older type of gas cooled reactor used a magnesium alloy but these are now obsolete. The cladding is most important as it prevents dangerous fission products from escaping into the reactor coolant.

As the fuel is used up, some of the Uranium 238 is converted to Plutonium 239, this is also fissionable and compensates to some extent for the burn-up of the U235. Eventually however the fuel becomes depleted in fissionable material and has to be removed and replaced with new fuel.

Answer 3

Fuels are examples of chemical energy. The most common method of making them useful is by setting them on fire to generate heat. This heat, or expansion of gasses is then turned into mechanical energy by getting something to move. That movement can them be used to propel a vehicle, or turn a generator to create electric energy.

Answer 4

Usually uranium dioxide in the form of small cylinders 10 mm diameter, packed inside a sealed zirconium sheath. The uranium is enriched to about 4 percent U235. The zirconium rods are made up into an assembly of perhaps 200 rods, held together with zirconium ties, and these assemblies are handled as units.

Answer 5

The Type of the enegy is Stored or what you call Potential

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Answer 6

Uranium in the form of uranium dioxide, enriched to about 5% U-235

Answer 7

It is chemical energy.