Yo peeps (notice my ‘Mat Salleh’ wannabe?). How y’all doing? (from Memphis apparently). Alright, let’s cut to the chase. For this third entry, we will talk about neutron moderator, nuclear reactor coolant and control rods.
Before we go any further, let’s take a ride on some nuclear lesson shall we? First off, what exactly is a nuclear reactor?
Nuclear Reactor:
· A device to initiate and control a continuous nuclear chain reaction−splitting of the nucleus of an atom into smaller parts often producing free neutrons and photons (fission) of heavy isotopes like 235U−that releases several million times more energy per reaction.
· It converts the thermal energy released from nuclear fission to boil water, producing pressurized steam which will then drive a steam turbine that generates electricity (just like conventional fossil fuels power stations).
· It has undergone many revolution and currently, the Generation III is in operation and development like AP-1000(a 2-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR)),EPR(a 4-loop PWR), ATMEA-1(a 3-loop PWR)and many more.
Well then, enough of this confusion and let’s move on to the next puzzlement of the day, neutron moderator. Whenever nuclear fission occurs, neutrons that are normally bounded into an atomic nucleus are freed with energies of several MeV (mega electron volt).
