Comments on: Nuclear Power: The Reactor http://dearscience.org/2008/06/02/nuclear-power-the-reactor/ Seattle's Only Scientist Sat, 12 May 2012 05:47:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Amira Dumoulin http://dearscience.org/2008/06/02/nuclear-power-the-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-3988 Amira Dumoulin Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:58:53 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=89#comment-3988 As soon as I discovered this internet site I went on reddit to share some of the love with them. As soon as I discovered this internet site I went on reddit to share some of the love with them.

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]]> By: fastdude http://dearscience.org/2008/06/02/nuclear-power-the-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-302 fastdude Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:59:45 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=89#comment-302 no mention of neutron reflectors in this article. also natural water contains a mix of heavy and light, it is not ALL light. no mention of neutron reflectors in this article.
also natural water contains a mix of heavy and light, it is not ALL light.

]]> By: Paul http://dearscience.org/2008/06/02/nuclear-power-the-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-192 Paul Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:24:50 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=89#comment-192 Your last paragraph here is a little misleading. Yes, pressurized water reactors in the US use enriched uranium as the fuel. However that enrichment is only between 3% and 5% (natural U-238 has an enrichment of approximately 0.7%). The physical size of the reactor core acts as a moderator as the neutrons have such a distance to travel that the neutrons hit the moderator many more times than in a smaller reactor. There are reactor designs that use highly enriched uranium but these are not used for commercial power. They are used when very compact reactors are needed (or when getting heavy water to replenish water supply is impossible to get). Also, due to reactor design it is not possible for a nuclear explosion to occur. Very specific geometries and designs must be met for a nuclear explosion. Yet, this seems to be what you meant by "Yes, even unenriched Uranium will explode, if you pile up more than the critical mass at which an uncontrollable chain fission reaction will start." An "uncontrollable chain fission reaction" is not necessarily a nuclear explosion. It takes much more than exceeding critical mass to result in a nuclear explosion. It may result in a steam explosion as the water is heated up to a pressure greater than the system can handle if heat is added too fast. This is called "prompt critical". There have been a number of prompt criticality accidents, but none have ended up in a nuclear explosion as the heat from the reaction tends to disrupt the geometry and stopping the reaction naturally. Your last paragraph here is a little misleading. Yes, pressurized water reactors in the US use enriched uranium as the fuel. However that enrichment is only between 3% and 5% (natural U-238 has an enrichment of approximately 0.7%). The physical size of the reactor core acts as a moderator as the neutrons have such a distance to travel that the neutrons hit the moderator many more times than in a smaller reactor.

There are reactor designs that use highly enriched uranium but these are not used for commercial power. They are used when very compact reactors are needed (or when getting heavy water to replenish water supply is impossible to get).

Also, due to reactor design it is not possible for a nuclear explosion to occur. Very specific geometries and designs must be met for a nuclear explosion. Yet, this seems to be what you meant by “Yes, even unenriched Uranium will explode, if you pile up more than the critical mass at which an uncontrollable chain fission reaction will start.” An “uncontrollable chain fission reaction” is not necessarily a nuclear explosion. It takes much more than exceeding critical mass to result in a nuclear explosion. It may result in a steam explosion as the water is heated up to a pressure greater than the system can handle if heat is added too fast. This is called “prompt critical”. There have been a number of prompt criticality accidents, but none have ended up in a nuclear explosion as the heat from the reaction tends to disrupt the geometry and stopping the reaction naturally.

]]> By: Dear Science » Blog Archive » Nuclear Power: What’s Next. http://dearscience.org/2008/06/02/nuclear-power-the-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-152 Dear Science » Blog Archive » Nuclear Power: What’s Next. Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:30:39 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=89#comment-152 [...] scant neutrons around. Hence the collection of plants in operation today, almost all based around mildly enriched Uranium, moderated and cooled by heavily pressurized water. By far not the safest or most efficient design, but doable, particularly if you are limited to [...] [...] scant neutrons around. Hence the collection of plants in operation today, almost all based around mildly enriched Uranium, moderated and cooled by heavily pressurized water. By far not the safest or most efficient design, but doable, particularly if you are limited to [...]

]]> By: Dear Science » Blog Archive » Nuclear Power: Disaster! http://dearscience.org/2008/06/02/nuclear-power-the-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-144 Dear Science » Blog Archive » Nuclear Power: Disaster! Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:59:12 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=89#comment-144 [...] think back to our earlier reactor design talk: Hey, something nifty! Water is both a good coolant and moderator! No moderator, no chain reaction, [...] [...] think back to our earlier reactor design talk: Hey, something nifty! Water is both a good coolant and moderator! No moderator, no chain reaction, [...]

]]> By: Dear Science: Nuclear power « B.D.’s Last Refuge http://dearscience.org/2008/06/02/nuclear-power-the-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-141 Dear Science: Nuclear power « B.D.’s Last Refuge Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:24:27 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=89#comment-141 [...] .nuclearPower: The Reactor [...] [...] .nuclearPower: The Reactor [...]

]]> By: Dear Science » Blog Archive » Nuclear Power: Nuclear Waste http://dearscience.org/2008/06/02/nuclear-power-the-reactor/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Dear Science » Blog Archive » Nuclear Power: Nuclear Waste Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:02:05 +0000 http://dearscience.org/?p=89#comment-134 [...] got our reactor up and humming. Our fuel is fissioning, splitting into smaller atoms and releasing neutrons. Our moderator is [...] [...] got our reactor up and humming. Our fuel is fissioning, splitting into smaller atoms and releasing neutrons. Our moderator is [...]

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