Nuclear reactor/Related Articles

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Parent topics

• Nuclear power plant [r]: A power plant, often electric, that uses the energy derived from controlled (non-explosive) nuclear reactions to generate electricity. Conventionally, nuclear power plants used the heat energy derived from nuclear fission to generate steam, which in turn generates electric power. ^[e]
• Nuclear fission [r]: A reaction by which a nucleus of a suitable isotope of an element with a high atomic number splits into two nuclei of lower atomic numbers and one or more neutrons and a relatively large release of energy per atom. ^[e]

Subtopics

• Light water reactor [r]: A nuclear reactor that uses regular water, called light water because its hydrogen nuclei are H-1, as opposed to heavy water whose hydrogen nuclei are H-2. ^[e]
  • Boiling Water Reactor [r]: (BWR) A type of nuclear power reactor in which the heat of the reactor is applied directly to the water that becomes steam and spins the turbine; the water, and eventually the turbine, becomes radioactive ^[e]
  • Pressurized Water Reactor [r]: uses atomic fission to heat water in a primary loop, then pipes the heated water to a heat exchanger to generate steam in a secondary loop, then uses the steam to drive a turbine; only water in the primary loop becomes radioactive. ^[e]
• Heavy water reactor [r]: A nuclear reactor that uses heavy water which has hydrogen nuclei that are H-2, as opposed to regular water, called light water because its hydrogen nuclei are H-1. ^[e]
  • CANDU [r]: A pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR), initially developed in the late 1950's in Canada. ^[e]
• Very High Temperature Reactor [r]: a medium-sized, next-gen, uranium-fueled, graphite-moderated, helium-cooled reactor that can provide heat for industrial processes, with electricity generation a secondary role ^[e]

Other related topics

• Nuclear power [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Neutron [r]: An elementary particle of neutral charge, normally found in the nucleus of chemical elements, but having significant effects when in free flight; the number of neutrons in the nucleus of an element defines its identity as an isotope ^[e]
• Reactor moderator [r]: A substance, which absorbs neutrons, and is used to control the rate of fission in a nuclear reactor ^[e]
• Moderator (nuclear) [r]: Materials, in nuclear engineering, that reduce the flow of particles or electromagnetic radiation ^[e]
• Uranium [r]: A silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table that has the symbol U and atomic number 92. ^[e]
• Plutonium [r]: Mainly man-made radioactive element (Z = 94); its 239 isotope is fissionable and used in nuclear weapons; the 240 isotope is used in some nuclear power reactors ^[e]

Recently added placeholders

• Very_high_temperature_reactor [r]: A nuclear reactor using helium gas as a coolant, that might provide process heat for production of zero-carbon hydrogen from water. ^[e]
• Natrium reactor [r]: A fast reactor using molten sodium as the coolant. Development funded by Bill Gates. Like the MCSFR, capable of burning spent nuclear fuel. ^[e]
• NuScale small modular reactor [r]: A smaller version of a standard Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) with additional safety features. ^[e]
• Molten chloride salt fast reactor [r]: Elysium's reactor with no moderator, capable of burning spent nuclear fuel and bomb cores. ^[e]
• ThorCon nuclear reactor [r]: A molten salt reactor (MSR) using a mix of uranium and thorium in a fluoride salt with a graphite moderator. ^[e]