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A nuclear reactor is composed of the following:
- fissionable fuel
- control rods
- safety rods
- moderator (omitted in a fast fission reactor)
- cooling system
Most reactors are what are called thermal reactors, what this means is slow (aka thermal) neutrons are used in the chain reaction to cause fissions in the fuel. A moderator (e.g. water, graphite, heavy water) is required to slow the fast neutrons emitted by fissions to this slow speed before too many of them are captured by uranium-238, which removes them from the chain reaction.
Fast reactors do not need a moderator as they use highly enriched fuel with most of the uranium-238 removed.
The control rods can be inserted and removed as needed and are made of a material (e.g. cadmium) that easily captures neutrons, which removes them from the chain reaction.
The safety rods are only inserted in an emergency, in some reactor designs they cannot be removed once inserted. Like the control rods they are made of a material (e.g. boron, cadmium) that easily captures neutrons, which removes them from the chain reaction.
The cooling system removes heat from the reactor (and in power reactors carries it to the turbine room where it is used to generate electricity). Frequently there are redundant cooling systems, including an emergency one that floods the reactor core with water.
Starting a nuclear reactor is requires a special procedure to do it safely:
- Insert all control rods as far as they go.
- Attach a neutron source to the reactor.
- Measure the neutron multiplication factor (neutron flux ÷ neutrons provided by the neutron source) of the reactor, it will be low and constant.
- Slightly remove one control rod.
- Measure the neutron multiplication factor of the reactor, it will be a bit higher than before and constant.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the neutron multiplication factor is no longer constant, but slowly rises on its own without further removal of control rods. The reactor is now very very slightly supercritical.
- Remove the neutron source from the reactor.
- The neutron flux in the reactor should settle to a constant value again and stay there. The reactor is now exactly critical.
- The reactor is now fully started. To increase power level, slightly remove control rods. To decrease power level, slightly insert control rods.
What else can I help you with?
How long does nuclaer energy last?
Nuclear energy can last for millions of years, as it is generated by the process of nuclear fission, where atoms are split to release energy. The duration of nuclear energy depends on the amount of available nuclear fuel and the efficiency of the reactor.
How can you find the efficiency of an AGR nuclear reactor?
You can work out the gas flow from the gas circulator characteristics, and measure the reactor inlet and outlet temperatures, so you can work out the reactor thermal output. Then you can measure the thermal conditions in the steam circuit from feed flow and temperature and steam temperature and pressure, this will give the reactor thermal output together with the gas circulator heat input. From all this data work out the best estimate for the reactor output. The generator output is straightforward, then you have to subtract the power being used on the plant for driving the gas circulators and feed pumps etc, to get the net electrical output, then it is just the ratio of that to the reactor thermal output.
How big is the reactor vessel in a boiling water reactor?
A reactor vessel in a boiling water reactor is approximately 300 tons.
What are the necessary components for a nuclear reactor?
for pressurized light water reactor type, as an example, the nuclear reactor components are * Reactor vessel (that contains the nuclear fuel and surrounded with water and contains control rod for power control and for safety) * reactor coolant pump * steam generator * reactor pressurizer * piping out of the vessel to the pressurizer, from pressurizer to steam generator, from steam generator to reactor coolant pump, and from pump back to the reactor vessel.
How many pounds of uranium are in a nuclear reactor?
The quantity depends on: the type of the reactor, power of the reactor, enrichment of uraniu, chemical form of the fuel, etc. For a research reactor some kilograms, for a power reactor more than 100 tonnes/year.
How long does nuclaer energy last?
Nuclear energy can last for millions of years, as it is generated by the process of nuclear fission, where atoms are split to release energy. The duration of nuclear energy depends on the amount of available nuclear fuel and the efficiency of the reactor.
How does a reactor work on thermal power plant?
Reactor is used for distilling water in thermal power plants.
How does the arc reactor work from the movie iron man?
It lights up
What is nuclaer stability?
That refers to atomic nuclei being stable - not disintegrating, or at least not disintegrating very quickly.
What rhymes with factor?
Actor, redactor.Actor, akhtar, lacter, pachter, schachter, schlachter, tractor, compactor, detractor, ham actor, reactor, refractor,chain reactor, fast reactor, breeder reactor, character actor, fusion reactor, atomic reactor, chemical reactor, nuclear reactor, boiling water reactor, thermonuclear reactoractor, tractor, reactor
What is range of strong nuclaer force?
The range is within 10-15 Meter (diameter of medium sized nucleus)
Are there more are there one type of nuclear reactor?
the boiling water reactor, pressurized water reactor, and the LMFB reactor
How can you find the efficiency of an AGR nuclear reactor?
You can work out the gas flow from the gas circulator characteristics, and measure the reactor inlet and outlet temperatures, so you can work out the reactor thermal output. Then you can measure the thermal conditions in the steam circuit from feed flow and temperature and steam temperature and pressure, this will give the reactor thermal output together with the gas circulator heat input. From all this data work out the best estimate for the reactor output. The generator output is straightforward, then you have to subtract the power being used on the plant for driving the gas circulators and feed pumps etc, to get the net electrical output, then it is just the ratio of that to the reactor thermal output.
What are a completely mixed flow reactor and its concentration characterisrtics?
a completely mixed reactor. the concentration in the reactor is the same that flows our of the reactor
What is nuclear reactor kinetics?
Nuclear reactor kinetics is the branch of reactor engineering and reactor physics and control that deals with long term time changes in reactor fuel and nuclear reactors.
How big is the reactor vessel in a boiling water reactor?
A reactor vessel in a boiling water reactor is approximately 300 tons.
What is the Japanese Nuclear Reactor?
A Nuclear Reactor.
