Some
questions under nuclear reactors
1. Describe the basic features and
operations of a typical nuclear reactor.
2. Explain why neutron form the basis of a nuclear reactor
3. List the applications of nuclear
reactors
Answers
1. a typical nuclear reactor has the following
features; the shield, fuels, moderator, reflector and coolants.
The shields is a sheet of heavy mass atomic substance like
lead or any heavy materials, it cool be water but
much be thicker like ten times that of lead. Designed to protect personnel from
dangerous nuclear emissions like gamma ray , neutrons etc.
a fuel in a nuclear reactor refer to the uranium, plutonium or any
radioactive atom use in the reactions, uranium-235 and plutonium-239 are some
of the examples of fuels, they are
responsible for the production of energy produced in the nuclear fusion or
fission reactions. This fuels when heat by neutrons splits and emit other
neutrons, if the supply of the fuels can be maintained a self-sustained nuclear
reaction can be maintained.
A moderator or neutron moderator a component of the reactor, it is made of light element like
hydrogen or carbon intermixed with the fuel, their main function is to reduce
the energy of the neutron or speed of
neutrons, examples o moderators are water, solid graphite and heavy water.
Reflector are
used to reflect back any escaping neutron, it could be a graphite,
steel, tungsten carbides etc.
Coolant are circulating fluid used to remove excess heat
from the reactor. This excess energy an be transferred to electricity generators.
Example of nuclear coolants are high pressure water, molten metal, molten salt,
gas etc.
Answers
2. Neutron is the basis for nuclear
reactor, cause electrons are very light
while protons may be repelled by the positive nuclear, but nuclear is
heavy and not repulsive, it neutral charge make it possible for it to penetrate
atoms easily, when uranium or any heavy
nuclide splits , it produces 2 to 3 neutrons on average, this neutrons can also be use to
trigger future splits and reaction continues, when a reaction can continue
uninterruptedly it is said to be self- sustaining nuclear chain reaction. When a reaction depend on a separate supply of neutrons it
is said to be sub-critical while in super-critical neutron will accumulates.
Therefore neutron is the basis in nuclear reaction.
3. Nuclear reactor can be use as a
prototype
· For research
· For isotope productions
· For
generation of electricity in nuclear generations
· For nuclear weapon production
· For uranium enrichment
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