Describe what happens in a fission reaction.
What is a commonly used isotope in a nuclear fission reactor?
Describe how a fission nuclear reactor power plant works.
a fission reaction involves the splitting of the larger nucleus to smaller daughter nuclei accompanied by highly energized neutrons. nuclear fission does not occur on its own; requires an input of energy. this is done by bombarding larger nuclei with neutrons in special containments. the common isotope is uranium and plutonium (these isotopes are used in nuclear fission bombs) as in the ones dropped at nagasaki and hiroshima during the second world war...
for the nuclear reactor power plant to work, it must contain several compartments; the reactor, the boiler, the cooling system, the turbines, the cooling tower and the pumps. the reactor contains the isotope constantly undergoing fission reaction with high amount of energy. the this heat energy is passed on to the the boiler where water is boiled to produce a steam. the steam is pumped into the cooling system, absorbed and used to spin the turbines for energy generation such as electricity. the temperature from the steam is controlled by the cooling tower, releasing tonnes of steams into the atmosphere.
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In a fission reaction, the nucleus of an atom is split into two smaller nuclei. This process releases a large amount of energy in the form of heat and radiation. This energy is utilized to generate electricity in nuclear power plants.
A commonly used isotope in a nuclear fission reactor is uranium-235. Uranium-235 is a radioactive isotope of uranium that can undergo fission when bombarded with neutrons. The fission of uranium-235 releases additional neutrons, which can initiate a chain reaction, allowing for sustained fission and constant heat generation.
Now, let's dive into how a fission nuclear reactor power plant works:
1. Fuel Assembly: The fuel assembly contains a large number of fuel rods, which are composed of pellets of enriched uranium or plutonium. These fuel rods are responsible for generating heat through the fission process.
2. Control Rods: Control rods made of materials like boron or cadmium are inserted into the reactor core to control the rate of the fission chain reaction. By adjusting the position of the control rods, operators can increase or decrease the number of neutrons available for fission, effectively regulating the power output of the reactor.
3. Coolant: The heat generated by the fuel rods is transported away by a coolant, such as water, which circulates through the core. As the water heats up, it turns into steam, which is used to turn a turbine.
4. Steam Turbine: As high-pressure steam flows over the blades of a turbine, it causes the turbine to spin. The turbine is connected to a generator, which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. This is where the electricity is generated.
5. Condenser: After passing through the turbine, the steam is condensed back into water by cooling it with cold water from a nearby source, such as a river or a cooling tower.
6. Cooling System: The heated water from the condenser is cooled and then circulated back to the reactor core to absorb more heat.
This continuous cycle of heat generation, steam conversion, turbine rotation, and electricity generation allows a fission nuclear reactor power plant to produce a significant amount of reliable, low-carbon electricity.