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Fissionable material, that is, material with the ability to fission, occurs in some isotopes of heavy elements. The most useful ones are uranium-235 (U-235) and plutonium-239 (Pu-239).
In brief, when fission occurs, an atom of nuclear fuel (and we're talking about the fission of nuclear fuel here) splits. This splitting yields what are called fission fragments, and the atom splits approximately in two. Note that there are several options as regards what the atom splits into. It can split into "A" and "B" or it can split into "C" and "D" or a few other resultants. But regardless, the fission fragments recoil after fission occurs, and most of the energy of this recoil, which is kinetic energy on the atomic scale, is expressed as heat (thermal energy).
The fuel in a reactor, whatever it is, is tightly sealed in a metal jacket (cladding). The atoms of the fuel are being held rigidly, and when fission occurs, the recoil of the fragments is "contained" in the fuel itself. This mechanical energy gives rise to the appearance of thermal (heat) energy. The lion's share of energy released by fission is carried off in the recoil of the fission fragments, which is kinetic (mechanical) energy. Said another way, the fission fragments can't "go anywhere" in the fuel matrix, and the kinetic energy they come away with after fission is captured in the fuel and appears as heat.
There are also free neutrons released, and they carry off kinetic energy like the fission fragments. These neutrons are slowed down in the moderator to increase the chances that they will be captured by other fuel atoms and cause other fission reactions. They will continue the chain and cause more fissions following neutron capture events. Electromagnetic radiation in the form of gamma rays is also produced in nuclear fission. It must be shielded against. In review, most of the energy of fission appears in the kinetic energy of the fission fragments, and that kinetic energy is converted into heat within the fuel element.
A nuclear reactor is a core made up of an assembly of fuel bundles, which are made of fuel elements, usually using enriched uranium as the nuclear fuel. In the pressurized water reactor, this assembly is inside a pressure vessel, as water is used as the primary coolant, and also the moderator. It can be ordinary water or heavy water. We also see some reactor designs that use graphite as a moderator. Also in the reactor are the control rods.
The primary coolant is the heat transfer medium. It carries heat out of the core and into the steam generator and back to the core in a closed loop. The reactor is made to reach criticality on start up when control rods are pulled. The chain reaction within the fuel will produce a steady power output as a result of nuclear fission, and this will release heat. The heat is used to produce steam in a steam generator, and the steam is feed to a conventional steam turbine/generating unit to generate electric power.
For those investigators attempting to trace the transformations of energy, nuclear energy (the binding energy that holds atomic nuclei together) is converted into electromagnetic and kinetic energy in fission. The electromagnetic energy, which appears as gamma rays, is largely lost as we cannot "capture" and "use" it. The kinetic energy (mechanical energy) of the fission fragments is converted into thermal energy (heat) because the fission products are "trapped" in the fuel matrix and cannot "fly free" as they would in air. The thermal energy created in the fuel bundles heats the fuel, and the primary coolant picks up that heat and transports it to a steam generator. The steam generator turns secondary water into steam, and the steam is piped to a turbine. The thermal energy of the steam is converted into mechanical energy in the turbine, and the mechanical energy is transferred into a generator. The generator converts the mechanical energy into electrical (electromagnetic) energy, and that is the useful product we derive from nuclear fission.
Links are provided to other questions and to other web pages so you can check facts and learn more. You'll find the links below.
What else can I help you with?
What energy is stored in nucleus?
The energy stored in the nucleus is nuclear energy, which is released during nuclear reactions such as fission or fusion. This energy is much more potent than chemical energy due to the large amount of energy stored in the nucleus of an atom.
How does the energy released by fusion compare in magnitude with that released by fission?
In a fission reactor which has been operating at a steady power level, on shutdown the fission reactions stop at once, but the radioactivity of the fission products in the fuel still produces thermal energy. This is about 6.5 percent of the previous power level immediately, dropping to about 1 percent after 1 hour. In the case of fusion, there are no fission products so this comparison does not exist, in fact if fusion reactors can ever be made, this is one of the advantages over fission reactors.
Why don't nuclear power plants need much fuel?
Nuclear power plants utilize a process called nuclear fission, where a small amount of uranium fuel generates a large amount of energy. This is because the energy released during fission is several million times greater than the energy released in chemical reactions, such as burning fossil fuels. As a result, nuclear power plants require relatively small quantities of fuel to produce large amounts of electricity.
How much energy is produced from an atomic bomb?
The energy produced from an atomic bomb is equivalent to the energy released from the nuclear fission process that occurs during the detonation. This energy can be millions of times more powerful than conventional explosives, with a single bomb capable of releasing the energy equivalent to thousands of tons of TNT.
Why fusion reaction are more energetic than fission reactions?
Nuclear fission does not produce more energy than nuclear fusion. In nuclear fusion (6.4 MeV) per nucleon is given out which is much greater than the energy given out per nucleon (1 MeV) during a nuclear fission reaction.
How does the role of the moderater work in nuclear power plants?
The moderator in a nuclear reactor slows (moderates) the neutrons that are released during fission, so that they can subsequently cause fission in other atoms. When the neutrons are initially released, they tend to have too much energy, which impacts their ability to cause subsequent fission.
The amount of energy released from a fission reaction is much greater than the energy released from a chemical reaction because in a fission reaction?
The amount of energy released from a fission reaction is much greater than that from a chemical reaction because fission involves the splitting of atomic nuclei, leading to a significant release of nuclear binding energy. This energy release is millions of times greater than the energy released in chemical reactions, which involve breaking and forming chemical bonds.
What energy is stored in nucleus?
The energy stored in the nucleus is nuclear energy, which is released during nuclear reactions such as fission or fusion. This energy is much more potent than chemical energy due to the large amount of energy stored in the nucleus of an atom.
Why enormous energy is released during nuclear fission?
Well... It depends on what you mean by "a lot". The binding energy released from a fusion event is actually only about four times that of a fission event, however, the density of the much lighter elements involved in fusion (hydrogen) versus fission (uranium) results in a much more effective total mass to energy ratio, much more than a hundred times that of fission.I'm not talking about delta-mass to energy - that is constant per e = mc2 - I'm talking about the total fuel mass versus the amount of energy available in the reaction.
What is nuclear fission energy?
Nuclear Fission Energy is energy that is produced using fissionable elements. The most common is Uranium. Fission energy involves the fission heating water and turning a turbine, much like coal.
How does the energy released by fusion compare in magnitude with that released by fission?
In a fission reactor which has been operating at a steady power level, on shutdown the fission reactions stop at once, but the radioactivity of the fission products in the fuel still produces thermal energy. This is about 6.5 percent of the previous power level immediately, dropping to about 1 percent after 1 hour. In the case of fusion, there are no fission products so this comparison does not exist, in fact if fusion reactors can ever be made, this is one of the advantages over fission reactors.
Which reaction used for nuclear power plant. fission or fussion?
Nuclear fission. Larger atoms are broken into smaller parts and energy is released. Nuclear fusion is where lighter atoms are fused together - as happens in the sun. This also produce energy, though much more.
Why don't nuclear power plants need much fuel?
Nuclear power plants utilize a process called nuclear fission, where a small amount of uranium fuel generates a large amount of energy. This is because the energy released during fission is several million times greater than the energy released in chemical reactions, such as burning fossil fuels. As a result, nuclear power plants require relatively small quantities of fuel to produce large amounts of electricity.
What do humans use fission for?
One use is in nuclear power plants to produce steam and turn turbines to generate electricity.Nuclear bombs ^.^
How much energy is produced from an atomic bomb?
The energy produced from an atomic bomb is equivalent to the energy released from the nuclear fission process that occurs during the detonation. This energy can be millions of times more powerful than conventional explosives, with a single bomb capable of releasing the energy equivalent to thousands of tons of TNT.
What is a nuclearfusion?
Nuclear Fusion, not to be mistaken with Nuclear Fission, is a process in which energy is created due to the merging or "fusion" of subatomic particles. The process is much more energy efficient, and produces larger quantities of energy than in a fission based process.
How much energy is needed to start nuclear fission reaction?
The exact amount of energy needed to initiate a nuclear fission reaction can vary depending on the specific isotopes involved. In general, a minimum amount of energy called the critical energy is required to overcome the forces holding the nucleus together and initiate the fission process. This critical energy can be provided by various methods including using a neutron source or through spontaneous fission events.
