A nuclear reactor is a device that initiates and controls a sustained nuclear chain reaction to produce heat for energy production. It consists of a moderator to slow neutrons, a reactor core containing fuel assemblies, a pressure vessel, control rods to adjust the reaction rate, and a cooling system. The heat created is used to generate steam to turn turbines and produce electricity while preventing overheating through multiple safety barriers. Spent fuel is stored on site before being sealed in casks for permanent underground disposal.
A nuclear reactor is a device that initiates and controls a sustained nuclear chain reaction to produce heat for energy production. It consists of a moderator to slow neutrons, a reactor core containing fuel assemblies, a pressure vessel, control rods to adjust the reaction rate, and a cooling system. The heat created is used to generate steam to turn turbines and produce electricity while preventing overheating through multiple safety barriers. Spent fuel is stored on site before being sealed in casks for permanent underground disposal.
A nuclear reactor is a device that initiates and controls a sustained nuclear chain reaction to produce heat for energy production. It consists of a moderator to slow neutrons, a reactor core containing fuel assemblies, a pressure vessel, control rods to adjust the reaction rate, and a cooling system. The heat created is used to generate steam to turn turbines and produce electricity while preventing overheating through multiple safety barriers. Spent fuel is stored on site before being sealed in casks for permanent underground disposal.
A nuclear reactor is a device that initiates and controls a sustained nuclear chain reaction to produce heat for energy production. It consists of a moderator to slow neutrons, a reactor core containing fuel assemblies, a pressure vessel, control rods to adjust the reaction rate, and a cooling system. The heat created is used to generate steam to turn turbines and produce electricity while preventing overheating through multiple safety barriers. Spent fuel is stored on site before being sealed in casks for permanent underground disposal.
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1/ 32
Nuclear Reactors
A device designed and operated to achieve a selfsustained neutron chain reaction in some combination of fissile, fissionable, and other materials. Power reactors use the fission process for the primary purpose of producing usable energy in the form of electricity.
Reactor.. A nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated, controlled, and sustained at a steady rate, as opposed to a nuclear bomb, in which the chain reaction occurs in a fraction of a second and is uncontrolled causing an explosion. A plant that uses nuclear reactions to produce heat, to make steam. It has two very thick shells to keep it as safe as possible. means an apparatus, other than a nuclear explosive device, designed or used to sustain nuclear fission in a self-supporting chain reaction.
MODERATOR The material which is used to reduce neutron energy by scattering without appreciable capture is called a moderator. A moderator is required to slow down the neutrons.
REFLECTOR A material which is reflects incident radiation is called reflector.
REACTOR COOLANT A coolant is a fluid which flows through a device in order to prevent its overheating, transferring the heat produced by the device to other devices that utilize or dissipate it.
REACTOR CORE A large number of fuel assemblies when place in a special arrangement in a reactor container , are called reactor core.
IONIZATION CHAMBER Ionization chamber are used to collect and measure the electric charge of ions and electrons that results from the interaction of incident radiation and secondary radiation from the chamber structure with the fixed, known volume of gas in chamber.
PRESSURE VESSEL Pressure vessel are used to prevent the escape of fission products and radiation from the core.
CONTROL RODS Control rods are used to control or adjust power level of a reactor. These rods are made of those materials which are strong neutron absorbers. They are moved in side or out side of the core in order to vary the rate of fission or power level.
CONDENSER The exhaust steam is passed through a heat exchanger that serves as condenser.
COMPRESSER / TURBINE The turbine used in convert K.E into rotary form. A turbine is rotary engine that extracts energy from fluid flow.
PUMP It is used to pump the coolants and to circulate it through the core of the reactor.
TYPES OF REACTORS 1.
LIGHT WATER REACTOR (LWR)
2.
BOILINF WATER REACTOR (BWR)
3.
PRESSURIZED HEAVY WATER REACTOR (PHWR)
4.
GAS-COOLED REACTORS (GCR)
5.
LIGHT WATER GRAPHITE REACTORS(LWGR)
Pressurized Water Reactor
Pressurized Water Reactor
Energy from the fission reactions can cause the temperatures in the reactor core to reach 300oC.
Boiled Water Reactor
Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR)
Gas-cooled Reactors (GCR)
Light Water Graphite Reactors
(LWGR)
HOW A NUCLEAR REACTOR WORKS
Think of a Tea Kettle
The fission process creates heat that produces steam in a secondary water system. The steam turns a turbine-generator which produces electricity.
Three Barriers to Contain Radiation
Defense In Depth 48 concrete containment building 35 concrete shield 8 steel reactor vessel solid nuclear fuel inside steel tubes
How Used Fuel is Removed
What Happens to Used Fuel?
Nuclear reactors split atoms of
uranium which creates heat. This process is called fission.
Uranium in a nuclear reactor comes
in the form of ceramic pellets.
Only one of the uranium isotopes
fission, U-235. New fuel contains about 5% U-235, the rest is U-238.
When most of the U-235 has split,
the used-up or spent fuel is stored in a large pool to cool off.
Dry Cask Storage
After the fuel has cooled,
it is moved into concrete casks.
Eventually, the fuel will be
sent to Yucca Mountain for permanent disposal deep under ground.
Transportation Safety A 120-ton locomotive, speeding at 80 miles an hour, crashed broadside into a container on a flatbed.
The impact demolished the train, but
hardly dented the container.
Transportation Container
Used nuclear fuel:
ceramic pellets encased in steel tubes.
Used nuclear fuel
cannot explode.
Used nuclear fuel does
not burn.
Yucca Mountain Volcanic eruptions created Yucca Mountain about 10 million years ago. Over the ages, layers of volcanic ash compressed and consolidated into a hard rock called tuff. There is very little rainfall, most of which quickly runs off the surface or evaporates. The water table under Yucca Mountain is extremely deep.
Permanent Disposal
Yucca Mountain is federally owned
land that borders the Nevada Test Site.
More than 900 atomic weapon blasts
have been conducted at the Nevada Test Site, mostly underground.
$2 billion dollars have been spent on
scientific investigation of the geology and hydrology of the site.
Spent fuel will be stored 1000 feet
below under ground, 800 feet above the water-table, protected by corrosion-resistant containers.
