Cooling system (nuclear reactor) in the context of "Nuclear meltdown"

Play Trivia Questions online!

 or

Skip to study material about Cooling system (nuclear reactor) in the context of "Nuclear meltdown"
Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: Cooling system (nuclear reactor)

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.

Heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid coolant. 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.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<

👉 Cooling system (nuclear reactor) in the context of Nuclear meltdown

A nuclear meltdown (core meltdown, core melt accident, meltdown or partial core melt) is a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term nuclear meltdown is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency, however it has been defined to mean the accidental melting of the core or fuel of a nuclear reactor, and is in common usage a reference to the core's either complete or partial collapse.

A core meltdown accident occurs when the heat generated by a nuclear reactor exceeds the heat removed by the cooling systems to the point where at least one nuclear fuel element exceeds its melting point. This differs from a fuel element failure, which is not caused by high temperatures. A meltdown may be caused by a loss of coolant, loss of coolant pressure, or low coolant flow rate, or be the result of a criticality excursion in which the reactor's power level exceeds its design limits.

↓ Explore More Topics
In this Dossier

Cooling system (nuclear reactor) in the context of Breeding blanket

A breeding blanket is a device used in nuclear engineering to transmute quantities of an element, using the neutron flux from a fission reactor or fusion reactor. In the fission context, breeding blankets have been used since the 1950s in breeder reactors, to manufacture fission fuel from fertile material. In the fusion context, they have been conceptualized for the manufacture of tritium from lithium-6. In both scenarios, neutron radiation is converted into thermal energy in the blanket, leading it to require its own cooling system.

↑ Return to Menu
LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Nuclear meltdown ← Breeding blanket
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Nuclear fission → Nuclear chain reaction → Nuclear power → Nuclear marine propulsion → Weapons-grade plutonium → Research reactor → Fissile material → Uranium-235 → Plutonium-239 → Neutron → Neutron absorber → Neutron moderator → Enriched uranium → Working fluid → Turbine → Electrical generator → District heating → Isotopes → Nuclear medicine → Industrial radiography →