Nuclear reactor

Rare card · No. 46336

A nuclear reactor is a device used to sustain a controlled fission nuclear chain reaction. They are used for commercial electricity, marine propulsion, weapons production, and research. Fissile nuclei (primarily uranium-235 or plutonium-239) absorb single neutrons and split, releasing energy and multiple neutrons, which can induce further fission. Reactors stabilize this, regulating neutron absorbers and moderators in the core. Fuel efficiency is exceptionally high; low-enriched uranium is 120,000 times more energy-dense than coal. When the fissile nuclei splits, it generates heat; which is then passed to a coolant, usually water. In commercial reactors, this drives turbines and electrical generator shafts. Some reactors are used for district heating, and isotope production for medical and industrial use. After the discovery of fission in 1938, many countries launched military nuclear research programs. Early subcritical experiments probed neutronics. In 1942, the first artificial critical...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided, Public domain