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A breeder reactor is one that is designed to produce more fissionable fuel from material that is not initially fissionable, thus enabling a self-sustaining fuel cycle to be set up so that new supplies of the fissionable U235 are not needed (that is the concept).
Note that even the normal thermal (ie moderated slow neutron) type of reactor does breed fuel, in that some of the U238, which constitutes about 95-96 percent of the uranium used, is converted to plutonium. If the fuel is processed after unloading from the reactor, the Pu can be recovered, and a mixed oxide fuel produced (MOX) which contains Pu and U235, for subsequent use in thermal reactors. This has benn done in the UK and France, but in the US this has not been done on any large scale, the used fuel has been and still is being stored on the power plant sites.
However the concept of the breeder reactor as a new generation of reactors is aimed at using the fast reactor, that is one in which there is no moderator, the fission chain reaction is maintained by fast neutron fission. This requires a higher enrichment of fuel for its first load, this can be provided by Pu239, which is available from old nuclear weapons which have been taken out of service, and from chemical separation of used fuel as said above. Such a fast reactor can have an outer blanket of U238, which is available as a byproduct of the U235 enrichment process, and during operation neutron capture would convert this to Pu239 (together with higher Pu isotopes). This could then be recovered and used for subsequent fuel charges. Thorium is also a possible breeding material, producing U233.
These ideas have been tried in prototypes, some large enough to produce power (Dounreay PFR in UK, Phenix in France), with some technical success, but at the moment it is not commercially attractive, the thermal types of PWR and BWR are still the main intention for new builds, and this will probably continue while U235 supplies are plentiful and reasonably priced. At some fairly distant time the fast breeder may become the preferred commercial option, but not yet.
What else can I help you with?
How are breeder reactors different from regular nuclear reactors?
A breeder reactor generates (in a way) new fuel, sometimes more fuel than it uses, by converting non-fissionable isotopes into fissionable isotopes, through neutron capture.
Can you make a real ark reactor?
An Ark reactor as currently describe in comic is very much like a Nuclear Fuel Cell. Possibly convert energy from Nuclear reaction to power. Possibly a plasma nuclear fusion reactor. I believe in the future it could be made. See the link and compare the similarity of fusion reactor and Ark reactor.
What is a bare reactor?
It is a nuclear reactor without reflector, consisting only from fuel and moderator.
How does water cool down nuclear atoms from exploding?
Water is used in nuclear REACTORS both as the heat energy carrier and as a coolant to prevent overheating. Proper cooling is required or the reactor will overheat, causing a meltdown. This is not the same as a nuclear explosion since all that will happen is the extreme heat will melt or destroy the reactor or its containment, but due to the design of reactors it is impossible to have a nuclear explosion similar to nuclear weaponry in a reactor. A notable reactor meltdown was Chernobyl where the nuclear reaction was allowed to generate too much excess heat and the heat caused melting of reactor components and eventually a steam explosion (water vapour explosion) due to overheating. The main concern for a reactor meltdown is not the immediate destruction of everything in a certain radius but the spraying of highly radioactive materials found only in a reactor over a large radius since this radioactive waste cannot be cleaned effectively and will render the surroundings uninhabitable for decades.
Did chernobyl explode like a bomb?
It did explode, but this was due to a surge in steam pressure which blew off the top of the reactor, it was not a nuclear explosion as in a nuclear weapon.
Do Breeder reactor and nuclear reactor have similarities?
A breeder reactor is one type of nuclear reactor, but not a type that is in general commercial use at the present time
How are breeder reactors and nuclear reactor different?
The breeder reactor produce more fissile fuel than what is consumed while this is not the case for other nuclear reactors.
How many days does a breeder reactor require to produce plutonium-239 from uranium-238?
It is a continuous instantaneous process that happens in the nuclear breeder reactor.
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.
What are advantages and disadvantages of nuclear and breeder reactors?
You can't compare and contrast nuclear reactors and breeder reactors, any more than you can compare a lion with a mammal. A lion is one example of many mammals; a breeder reactor is just one example of many types of nuclear reactor.
Difference between breeder reactors and nuclear reactors?
The nuclear reactor is different from the breeder reactor because it generates energy through fission. Historically, in order to be called a breeder, a reactor must be specifically designed to create more fissile material than it consumes. this is what I've looked up and been able to find
What are feeder reactors?
Probable you think to a breeder reactor; this type of nuclear reactor produce more fissile material than it consumes.
How are breeder reactors different from regular nuclear reactors?
A breeder reactor generates (in a way) new fuel, sometimes more fuel than it uses, by converting non-fissionable isotopes into fissionable isotopes, through neutron capture.
Does a breeder nuclear reactor use moderator?
No, a breeder nuclear reactor does not typically use a moderator. Breeder reactors are designed to produce more fissile material than they consume by using fast neutrons to convert non-fissile isotopes into fissile ones without slowing down the neutrons.
What is a type of reactor that produces electricity but in doing so creates new nuclear fuel?
A breeder reactor is a type of reactor that produces electricity while also creating new nuclear fuel. It achieves this by converting non-fissile isotopes into fissile fuel as it operates, effectively "breeding" its own fuel.
What is produced from uranium-238 in a breeder reactor?
In a breeder reactor, uranium-238 absorbs a neutron and transmutes into plutonium-239, which is a fissile material that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. This plutonium-239 can then be used as fuel in the reactor to produce energy.
When was Experimental Breeder Reactor I created?
Experimental Breeder Reactor I was created in 1950.
