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What is the purpose of boron in nuclear reactors?
Boron is used inside a nuclear reactor inside a control rod which is used to 'soak' up the neutrons inside the nuclear reactor, a control rod can be used to control the rate of fission inside a nuclear reactor.
Can a nuclear reactor make more fuel than it uses?
Yes, a type of fast neutron (without a moderator) reactor called a breeder reactor can make plutonium fuel much faster than it consumes uranium fuel. If fueled with plutonium fuel instead of uranium fuel, it also makes more plutonium fuel than it consumes.But all other reactor types are unable to do this (even though they all make some plutonium during operation).Note: a slight variant of a breeder reactor sometimes called a burner reactor is designed to rapidly fission all actinides (elements from actinium up through all transuranics) to eliminate long lived isotopes from nuclear waste.
Why excess reactivity is built in nuclear reactor?
Because some of the fission products are neutron poisonsthat as they build up reduce the reactivity. Without the excess reactivity available to overcome this the reactor would shut itself down until the neutron poisons decayed away. This effect was observed in the first production reactor at Hanford (B reactor) when it was first started.
What two elements make up crude oil?
Carbon and hydrogen are the two main elements that make up crude oil.
What radioisotope is used as the fuel for a nuclear reactor?
There are two radioisotopes that serve as fuel for a nuclear reactor. The first is uranium-235, which is a constituent of natural uranium. U-235 is a "fissile" isotope -- i.e., the one that splits when it absorbs a neutron of a certain energy. When a reactor starts up with a fresh load of fuel, all of the early activity involves U-235. This splitting, or fissioning, of U-235 atoms releases energy in the form of heat. The production of heat is the whole purpose of certain types of nuclear reactors. This heat converts water into steam to turn a turbine generator and make electricity. Fission also releases neutrons. These neutrons sometimes are absorbed into another uranium isotope, uranium-238, another constituent of natural uranium which is also present in nuclear fuel. When U-238 absorbs a neutron, it eventually becomes plutonium-239. Pu-239 is another fissile isotope, i.e., it also fissions when struck by a neutron of a certain energy. So the two isotopes that are used as fuel for a nuclear reactor are uranium-235 and plutonium-239. The former gets the reactor going; the latter is made inside the reactor. Some nuclear reactors are designed solely to produce neutrons. These are research reactors. Neutron interactions with other materials are of great interest to a great many scientists and engineers.
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 the part of a nuclear power plant that undergoes a fission reaction?
The uranium 235 atoms in the nuclear fuel are what actually fission, or split into two other atoms. The uranium is in ceramic fuel pellets that are inserted into fuel rods, that make up fuel elements, that are in the reactor core that is located in the reactor vessel of the nuclear power plant. After the fuel has been in the reactor it begins to produce plutonium 239 atoms within the fuel which will also undergo a fission reaction.
What are the four main elements that make up a reactor core?
The four main elements in a nuclear reactor core are fuel rods (containing enriched uranium or plutonium), control rods (to absorb neutrons and regulate the fission reaction), coolant (such as water or gas to transfer heat), and a moderator (to slow down neutrons to sustain the chain reaction).
How much power does a nuclear plant produce?
Up to 1500MWe per reactor
What is the purpose of boron in nuclear reactors?
Boron is used inside a nuclear reactor inside a control rod which is used to 'soak' up the neutrons inside the nuclear reactor, a control rod can be used to control the rate of fission inside a nuclear reactor.
Can a nuclear reactor make more fuel than it uses?
Yes, a type of fast neutron (without a moderator) reactor called a breeder reactor can make plutonium fuel much faster than it consumes uranium fuel. If fueled with plutonium fuel instead of uranium fuel, it also makes more plutonium fuel than it consumes.But all other reactor types are unable to do this (even though they all make some plutonium during operation).Note: a slight variant of a breeder reactor sometimes called a burner reactor is designed to rapidly fission all actinides (elements from actinium up through all transuranics) to eliminate long lived isotopes from nuclear waste.
Examples for nuclear energy?
PWR and BWR reactor types. Look up in Wikipedia.
If the control rods in a nuclear reactor are removed would the condition be supercritical or subcritical?
If the control rods in a nuclear reactor were somehow to be instantly "jerked" out of the reactor, the reactor would go supercritical. If they were pulled at a normal rate and all of the control rods were pulled out, the reactor would start up and heat up and would end up running far too hot. Any one of several safety systems would shut the reactor down before this could happen. If the safety systems were disabled, the reactor would overheat and a meltdown may occur.
What is a part of a nuclear power plant that undergoes a fission reaction?
Nuclear fission takes place in the nuclear fuel rods that are placed in the reactor core that is situated in the reactor pressure vessel. The reactor pressure vessel is usually situated inside the reactor containment.
How is enriched uranium used to generate electricity in a nuclear reactor?
For commercial nuclear energetic reactors the enrichment in 235U is generally up to 5 %.
What are nuclear reactors made from?
Reactors are typically made from concrete,steel and lined with lead, the combination of these materials and built into a strong shape(bullet shaped or spherical shaped etc..) make up a nuclear reactor, these materials also absorb the radiation produced inside the nuclear reactor(lead absorbs gamma radiation and concrete absorbs neutron radiation).
Is this true The function of control rods in a nuclear reactor is to speed up the nuclear reactions?
No, the function of the control rods is to absorb surplus neutrons so that the chain reaction proceeds at a steady rate, and to compensate for the reducing reactivity of the reactor as the fuel is burned up over the refuelling cycle. They also have a very important safety function in shutting down the reactor fully when required, by inserting them fully, thus preventing any chain reaction from starting.
