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"Ultimate Heas Sink" is a vitrually unlimited supply of water that can be used by nuclear reactors to cool vital systems and their primary containment during worse case (design basis) accidents. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires all nuclear plants operating in the US to maintain emergency systems that can remove heat from vital systems in the event of a design basis worse case accident. Designers of nuclear reactors have determined what kind of accident would be the worse possible accident to happen, and they have designed systems to mitigate those accidents. These systems must operate independent of external sources of electricity, or other resources. These systems include (but are not limited to) emergency generators (usually diesel powered), emergency sources of pneumatics, containment structures and suppression pools capable of receiving and suppressing the energy that could be released from the reactor vessel if it ruptured. All of the systems mentioned above either generate heat, or remove heat from other systems and components . This heat must be removed in order for these systems to continue to function. Therefore, each plant must have an "Ultimate Heat Sink" capable of removing heat from the primary containment and other vital systems necessary to mitigate a worse case accident. Usually, the ultimate heat sink is a large body of water such as a river or a lake. If the water level or temperature of the "Ultimate Heat Sink" for a nuclear plant drops to a pre-defined level, or if other conditions exist to where the "Ultimate Heat Sink" cannot provide the required heat removal function, then the nuclear plant is bound by regulation to shut down. The water from the "Ultimate Heat Sink" is passed through large heat exchangers where it cools other mediums. For this reason, the water from the ultimate heat sink does not become contaminated with radioactivity from the nuclear plant.

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Q: What is the ultimate heat sink for nuclear reactors?
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Where do heat sink go?

Heat sinks increase the rate of heat loss from the source into the environment, i.e. usually air. The heat goes to the same place as it would without the heat sink, it just does it quicker. Some heat sinks may be enclosed in a liquid, which is used to transport the heat elsewhere where it cools down and then returns.


Why do nuclear power plants have three independent water systems?

This is mainly to protect against any possibility of nuclear radioactive material pollution. For example in pressurized water reactor types, the three water systems are:Primary coolant closed system that extracts heat from the nuclear fuel that is undergoing nuclear fission,Secondary coolant closed system that gets heat from the primary coolant system and get converted into steam that goes to spin the turbines and get condensed again in the condenser and returns back again, andUltimate heat sink system that gets water from a river, sea, or ocean to cool and condense the steam passing through the condenser.


Function of heatsink?

when your PC has been inoperation for a while the components inside start to heat up this heat can cause damage to those components a heat sink turns the heat into air and vents it out of the PC making sure your compnents eg processors are still in working order


How cold do the cooling bays in nuclear power plants need to be?

The water is at atmospheric pressure, so it must be kept well below 100C to avoid high evaporation, around 30C would be ideal, and generally achievable, though this depends on the temperature of the heat sink.


Why do transistors sometimes need heatsinks?

These types of transistors are power transistors and generate heat. The heat sink is used to dissipate the heat. If the transistor gets too hot it will fail.

Related questions

What is the function of a processor heat sink?

To sink the heat.


How was the nuclear plant used?

The nuclear power plant is used in the following way:nuclear fission occur in the nuclear fuel producing heat energythe energy is transferred to the coolant producing steamthe steam spins turbines that moves the electric generator and thus producing electricity.the steam out of the turbines turns to water in the condenser and returns back to be heated again into steam and so on.the condenser gets its cooling water from the ultimate heat sink that could be sea. ocean, river, lakes, ...etc


Why is a sink called a sink?

Probably because it draws/absorbs the heat making the heat "sink" into it


How does a heat sink work in the power supply?

A heat sink works on the principle of thermal transfer. The heat sink transfers heat from the chip to the air, wicking heat away.


Is water a type of heat sink?

Yes! Water is a heat sink.


Why is it called a heat sink?

Probably because it draws/absorbs the heat making the heat "sink" into it


Why are nuclear power plants are located in coastal areas?

Nuclear power plants are generally located in coastal areas, or near large lakes, because they need a reliable large scale heat sink.


How does heat capacity makes water a good heat sink?

If a body of water has a high heat capacity, it can store more thermal energy making it a good heat sink.


A device that absorbs and draws heat from a hot object dispersing it into the surroundings is which one of the following?

Heat sink


Why did Japanese engineers build such a preponderance of nuclear generation plant on a known fault line?

The plants are not built on a fault line. The whole of Japan is 'near' a fault line and there is no real difference as to where you build them in Japan. Also the problem was not the fault (earthquake) it was the secondary Tsunami that has done the damage. The problem is that pressure water reactors need to be build by the sea so that the sea can be used as a heat sink.


How are heat sink and carbon sink related?

heat sink is when heat is absorbed into any type of environment, including the aquatic ecosystem; and carbon sink is when CO2 is absorbed into any type of environment including the terrestrial ecosystem.


What is heat sinker?

makes the heat sink