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Nuclear Reactors
Nuclear reactors are devices that maintain nuclear reactions. They are used in creating power and elements.
890 Questions
It is a nuclear reactor without reflector, consisting only from fuel and moderator.
a smoothing reactor in dc circuits reduces harmonic currents in dc lines.
What is a nuclear fuel rod made out of?
A nuclear fuel rod is typically made of metal alloys such as zirconium or stainless steel that encase ceramic pellets of uranium dioxide. These pellets are the actual fuel source used in nuclear reactors to generate energy through the process of nuclear fission.
What is one difference between nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons?
- Reactors use thermal (slow) neutrons, fission weapons use fast neutrons.
- Reactors all use fission, weapons can use fission, fusion, or any combination.
- Reactors can use delayed fissions making them respond slowly to control changes, weapons complete their reaction too fast for delayed fissions to happen.
- Reactors have control rods and their energy release can be adjusted or even turned off, weapons have no controls and release all their energy in a few microseconds once triggered.
- etc.
Is nuclear fission only used to create atomic bombs?
No, nuclear fission operates all nuclear reactors. If they are power plant reactors it is used to generate electricity.
How nuclear source of energy is man made resource?
When we obtain nuclear energy from elements in the earth like Uranium, what we are doing, is obtaining energy which produced by splitting up subatomic particles.
So we obtain the atomic energy from splitting up the atomic particles, not from the uranium itself, which is a natural resource. Since the splitting up of subatomic particles is completely "man-made", if you will and does not occur in the environment, Nuclear energy is a man made resource
What causes the Japanese nuclear reactor failure?
one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded followed by a tsunami that disabled the backup diesel generators.
How much does it cost to clean up a nuclear spill?
The Guardian newspaper says it costs £1 billion. See the related link.
How far what happened to the nuclear reactors endangered people?
The operating crews on site at Fukushima are certainly at risk, in order to approach the faulty reactors and fuel storage ponds they are getting more radiation dosage than would normally be allowed. As far as the general public are concerned, provided they follow advice and keep out of the local area around the plant, they are probably not at any significant risk compared to normal life.
What are the concerns of nuclear reactors?
If ever they break down alot of uranium can be realesed into the atmospehere and as of all the extremly dangerous toxins and heat if a generator breaks then there is an unbelivable danger because the plant can no longer create energy which is used to cool the reactor as a safety procedure
How many nuclear reactors were affected by the earthquake?
As of 2021, only two nuclear power plants were affected by earthquakes – Fukushima Daiichi and Onagawa. Both facilities experienced damage following the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011.
Is Three Mile Island still in use?
Yes, it is still operational. The related link, below, has more detailed information about it.
How are spent fuel rods dangerous to humans?
Spent fuel rods are dangerous to humans mainly due to their high levels of radioactivity. This radiation can cause severe health effects, such as increased risk of cancer, organ damage, and radiation sickness. Proper handling and storage of spent fuel rods are crucial to prevent exposure to this harmful radiation.
How serious have nuclear reactor accidents been?
Between 1945 and 1987, there were 285 nuclear reactor accidents, injuring over 1,550 people and killing 64.
What can cause a nuclear power plant blow up?
- A steam explosion from flash evaporation of coolant water. This is what blew up Chernobyl.
- A chemical hydrogen/oxygen gas explosion caused by build up of hydrogen gas in the plant when water decomposes on contact with overheated zirconium fuel rod cladding.
A nuclear explosion in a nuclear reactor is not possible, the fuel cannot be assembled into a supercritical mass configuration fast enough (~1ms) as this would require explosives. If the reactor core did suddenly go slightly supercritical, the energy release would simply cause a brief partial meltdown, restoring the material to a subcritical configuration. This could trigger a steam explosion that ejected parts of the reactor core (as happened at Chernobyl) but no nuclear yield would occur.
Can you dispose of a nuclear reactor?
Generally, not. The reactor pressure vessel is too radioactive to handle and, even if you could do that, the contamination of the various plant systems would cost too much to properly decontaminate. Only one facility has been successfully decontaminated after operation - and that was the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant in New York - but it only operated for the equivalent of one day at 5% power - a normal plant with long term operation history would never be able to be adequately decontaminated and allowed to be "walked away from".
Who built the Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors?
The reactors af Fukushima Daiichi were built by different companies, but they were all designed by GE.
Why use plutonium in nuclear reactors?
Plutonium is used in nuclear reactors as a fuel because it can undergo fission, producing energy in the process. It is created as a byproduct in uranium-fueled reactors and can be recycled for use as fuel in mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. Plutonium helps extend the fuel cycle and reduce waste by utilizing more of the energy content in nuclear fuel.
Why is the nuclear reactor surrounded by a thick concrete layer?
To stop radiation leaking out. Alpha and Beta types of radiation will be stopped by the concrete
