Nuclear reactor - Wikipedia
WEBA nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion.
NUCLEAR 101: How Does a Nuclear Reactor Work?
WEBAug 2, 2023 · Nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant. They contain and control nuclear chain reactions that produce heat through a physical process called fission. That heat is used to make steam that spins a turbine to create electricity.
Nuclear reactor | Definition, History, & Components | Britannica
WEBJul 22, 2024 · nuclear reactor, any of a class of devices that can initiate and control a self-sustaining series of nuclear fissions. Nuclear reactors are used as research tools, as systems for producing radioactive isotope s, and most prominently as energy sources for nuclear power plants.
Nuclear power reactors, reactor types and technologies | IAEA
WEBJun 28, 2024 · Nuclear power reactors produce energy by initiating and controlling a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Currently, over 400 such reactors in 32 countries provide about 10 per cent of the world’s electricity.
Nuclear reactor: what it is, what it is used for and its components
WEBJul 18, 2012 · A nuclear reactor (or atomic reactor) is a facility capable of converting nuclear energy into thermal energy. The reactors have the capacity to initiate, control and maintain the nuclear chain reactions that occur in the core of this facility.
What is Nuclear Energy? The Science of Nuclear Power | IAEA
WEBNov 15, 2022 · Nuclear energy is a form of energy released from the nucleus, the core of atoms, made up of protons and neutrons. This source of energy can be produced in two ways: fission – when nuclei of atoms split into several …
How a Nuclear Reactor Works - Nuclear Energy Institute
WEBHow a Nuclear Reactor Works. Nuclear plants split atoms to heat water into steam. The steam turns a turbine to generate electricity. It takes sophisticated equipment and a highly trained workforce to make it happen, but it’s that simple.
Science 101: Nuclear Energy | Argonne National Laboratory
WEBNuclear reactors split atoms of uranium, a mildly radioactive element, to form heat. This process releases heat and neutrons. Some of these neutrons go on to collide with other uranium atoms, causing them to fission, which keeps the nuclear reaction going.
The first nuclear reactor, explained | University of Chicago News
WEBThe U.S. government quickly set up national laboratories to develop nuclear reactors for energy. A reactor built by Argonne National Laboratory produced the world’s first usable amount of electricity from nuclear energy on Dec. …
Nuclear reactor - Fission, Fusion, Breeder | Britannica
WEBJul 22, 2024 · Nuclear reactor - Fission, Fusion, Breeder: Most of the world’s existing reactors are power reactors, providing the heat needed to turn turbines that run electric-power generators. There are also numerous research reactors, and some navies of the world have submarines or surface ships driven by propulsion reactors.
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