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Nuclear Reactors

Nuclear reactors are devices that maintain nuclear reactions. They are used in creating power and elements.

890 Questions

Why do nuclear reactors need sheilding?

so that the harmful radiations do not come out of the reactor and harm the living organisms including human beings. because many of the radiations can cause severe damage

What is the ultimate heat sink for nuclear reactors?

"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.

What is the function of light water in nuclear reactor?

Light water is used:

  1. as nuclear fuel reactor coolant
  2. to produce steam that turns the turbines and hence turning the electric generation system
  3. as a neutron moderator
  4. as coolant in safety systems

How does a nuclear reactor power a ship?

A nuclear reactor has basically one useful product that we can apply, and that's heat. We generally pump the primary coolant, which is heated by nuclear fission, through a steam generator. There, the heat of the primary coolant is picked up by the secondary water, and that water is turned into steam. The steam is then used to drive conventional steam turbines.

How do nuclear plants affect sea life?

The negative effects of nuclear power plants on sea life is very limited as the sea water used for cooling is fully separated from the nuclear fuel. In addition, the regulations require that the sea water temperature rise due to its use for nuclear plants cooling should exceed 5 degrees centigrade. Many swimming beaches are located close to the nuclear power plants sites.

In a nuclear reactor why does the moderator need to slow down the neutrons?

Nuclear fission of Uranium-235 is more efficient when hit by neutrons with low energy of the order of electron volts. However, neutrons coming from fission are at high energies around 2 megaelectron volt. Accordingly, the moderator is needed to slow down the neutrons coming from fission to low energy values through scattering process with moderator molecules. This is the concept of the so called "thermal nuclear reactors"

How long are the fuel rods typically left in the reactor core in a BWR or a PWR?

The length of time we see fuel rods left in the core of a reactor will depend on the time it takes to deplete the nuclear fuel in those rods. Reactor design, specifically fuel rod design, and the rate at which the fuel is consumed during operation all have an effect. Typical life of the fuel in a nuclear reactor at a power station is several years.

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.

What is neutron absorbing glass?

A glass with the composition CdO-SiO2-B2O3 forms a neutron absorbing glass which is quite stable against moisture attack and divitrification and are good slow neutron absorbers

Application of nuclear reactor?

Nuclear reactor design and operation depends largely on its application. Those applications are mainly:

  1. Electricity generation
  2. process heat generation
  3. research
  4. material testing
  5. radioactive isotope production
  6. training
  7. saline water desalination
  8. propulsion (e.g. submarines)

Why was the hanford site chosen for plutonium production what secret weapon was eventually prouced?

Hanford in Washington state was chosen for its remote location and because it has a good water source. Folks in some small communities had to be relocated but things worked out, and the first plutonium for the second atomic bomb was produced there.

Where was the nuclear explosion at in 1986?

I don't know of one specifically, there was still underground nuclear testing at the time so there might have been several that year. If you are thinking of the reactor explosion at Chernobyl that year, that was not a nuclear explosion, just a large steam explosion when the coolant water flash vaporized blowing the roof off the reactor. Once the graphite moderator in the core was exposed to air it caught fire, this was the worst part of the disaster as burning graphite is nearly impossible to put out and the smoke was carrying all kinds of radioactive material from deep in the core.

Why isn't nuclear energy cost effective?

It is not true. The levelized cost of a kilowatt hour electricity from nuclear energy is cheaper than any other source of electricity except hydraulic power in some countries.

What is passive safety system for nuclear reactor?

Passive means that something will happen on it's own, depending only on laws of physics, such as gravity or pressure differentials. In this type of system the emergency core cooling systems are not dependent on electric driven water pumps to move coolant water.

What happens if nuclear reactor leaks?

If a nuclear reactor leaked you would have to evacuate the area around the plant and you would attempt to stop the leak and probably depending on the severeity level of the situation you may need to 'SCRAM' the reactor.

Which material use in glass line reactor?

which material used in glassline reactors? What is glassline material ? Basic

Explain the principle and working of a nuclear reactor with a neat diagram?

A nuclear reactor uses controlled nuclear reactions to generate heat, which is then used to produce electricity. The reactor core contains nuclear fuel rods, usually made of uranium, which undergo fission when bombarded by neutrons, releasing heat and more neutrons. The heat produced is used to create steam, which drives a turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity. Control rods are used to regulate the reaction by absorbing neutrons and controlling the rate of fission.

How many nuclear reactors are in Michigan?

There are three nuclear power plants in Michigan. Enrico Fermi, Donald C. Cook and Palisades have one, two and one operating reactors, respectively. As regards active nuclear reactors used for generating electric power, that's the list. The count is one plus two plus one, or four reactors.

Why haven't any nuclear reactors been constructed in the United States since 1996?

Most nuclear reactors started being built in 1974. Changing economics and the Three Mile Island accident most planned projects were canceled. The Three Mile Island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown. Over 100 planned nuclear power reactors were canceled. Most of those were already under construction. George W. Bush's Nuclear Power 2010 Program was an effort to start build nuclear reactors again. But the 2010 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster the majority of planned projects were canceled.


There are a few new nuclear projects. The construction of the second unit at Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station in Tennessee was 80% complete in the 1980s but construction was abandoned due to a decrease in power demand. In 2007 construction was approved to continue and construction was finally finished in 2015.


In March 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved construction plans for Unit 2 and 3 at the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station. Unit 2 began construction in March 2013 and Unit 3 began in November of the same year..


In February 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved construction plans for Unit 3 and 4 at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant. Like the Summer plant, Unit 3 began construction in March 2013 and Unit 4 began in November.


Explain the purpose of the heat exchanger in the nuclear power plant?

The heat exchanger is the device built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another, whether the media are in direct contact or the media are separated by a solid wall so that they never mix.

Who built the first nuclear reactor the atomic pile?

There was not one person. An entire group of scientists led by the Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, and Leo Szilard, who I believe was Polish, built the atomic pile under the squash courts at the University of Chicago. Many other people were also involved.