Nuclear Power Stations
- Created by: Heather
- Created on: 14-03-13 11:12
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- How A Power Station Works
- Control rods
- Made of material with high neutron absorbing ability
- Eg Boron and Cadmium
- They absorb neutrons to ensure the reaction happens at a critical rate
- To shut the reaction down they are fully submersed
- Without these the reactor becomes a bomb
- Made of material with high neutron absorbing ability
- Coolant
- Extracts the energy and delivers it to water which then boils
- It must : have a high specific heat capacity, be non corrosive and have stability at high temperatures
- Eg. Water and Carbon dioxide
- As it passes through the reactor it becomes radioactive
- Loss of coolant results in a melt down
- Fuel Rods
- Only 0.7% of uranium is U-235 (The one that fission's)
- Because of this the uranium in reactors is enriched to about 3%
- Only 0.7% of uranium is U-235 (The one that fission's)
- Moderators
- Neutrons released are too fast to start another fission
- A moderator absorbs their excess energy via elastic collisions
- Moderators must have a low neutron absorbing ability so they are not removed
- eg graphite
- Neutrons released are too fast to start another fission
- Control rods
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