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This depends very much on the type of reactor. PWR's operate at a high pressure in the primary circuit to prevent boiling, and the outlet water temperature is about 315 degC. In BWR's in contrast, boiling is allowed and the outlet temperature is about 285 degC.
Gas cooled reactors can operate at much higher temperatures. In the AGR for example (CO2 cooled, graphite moderated) the gas outlet temperature is designed to be about 540 degC, which allows steam to be produced at conditions the same as in a modern coal fired station, in fact at the last two built the steam turbines were exactly the same as installed in coal fired stations at that time. At these temperatures all steel components in the reactor have to be austenitic, as CO2 oxidises normal steel, and re-entrant gas flow has to be arranged to keep the graphite moderator cool, the gas inlet being at about 300degC.
Designs exist for helium cooled gas reactors which could operate even hotter and drive a gas turbine directly, without a steam circuit. These may or may not be commercially exploited.
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThis depends entirely on the reactor design:
- certain research reactors operate at core temperatures colder than 50C (e.g. CP-1 built in WW2 the core never got hotter than room temperature 27C)
- boiling water reactors (BWR) operate with the core at the temperature of boiling water 100C
- pressurized water reactors (PWR) operate with the core at 300C to 350C
- high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR) operate with the core at 1000C
In reactors using water coolant there is a problem with the fuel cladding causing the water to decompose into hydrogen and oxygen gas (which can explode) if the core gets too hot. This was a very severe issue in the early days when aluminum was the only suitable metal, but the switch to zirconium alloys (e.g. zircaloy) for the cladding allowed the current PWR operating temperatures.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoFor a PWR the reactor inlet is at about 275 C and the outlet at about 325 C
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What is the place where controlled nuclear fission reactions take place?
In the core of a nuclear reactor
How hot must the core of a protostar be to begin nuclear fusion?
When the core of a protostar has reached about 10 million K, pressure within is so great that nuclear fusion of hydrogen begins, and a star is born.
Does an operating nuclear reactor make a lot of sound?
The reactor itself does not make a lot of sound when operating. Nuclear fission is silent, but moving water in the core (in a pressurized water reactor) might be heard as it circulates. But it would not be easy to put your ear to the reactor vessel as radiation levels would be very high and the vessel would be very hot. Certainly the pumps that are running to circulate coolant will be audible.
What part of a nuclear reactor system contains uranium?
The central active core fuel assemblies.
What is artificial nuclear reactor?
An artificial nuclear reactor is a nuclear reactor that is created by man to utilize a nuclear reaction for energy, as opposed to natural nuclear reactors.
Where is the nuclear energy produced in a nuclear reactor?
In the core.
Parts of nuclear reactor where nuclear fission occurs?
core
Why does the core of the reactor have a moderator?
The core of the reactor contains the nuclear fuel. Having a moderator in place within the core ensures that the nuclear fuel is processed at an accurate time duration. This can prevent serious problems from occurring within the entire nuclear reactor.
What part of a nuclear reactor would most likely contain plutonium?
This part is the core of the nuclear reactor containing the nuclear fuel.
The core of a nuclear reactor includes?
Fissionable substances.
What is in the core of a nuclear reactor?
The core of the nuclear reactor includes:nuclear fuel elements (composed of the fuel meat covered with cladding)reactor coolantreactor moderator (for thermal reactors)control elementsmeasuring instrumentsstructural and support structures
How do nuclear reactors meltdown?
The nuclear core goes into a process known as 'meltdown' if it becomes too hot. For a reactor to reach critical temperature something serious has to malfunction, this could be a lack of water inside the reactor, pressure loss inside the reactor or no control rods inside the reactor, all of these faults could lead to severe damage to the reactor core and a possible lead to a thermal explosion(not a mushroom cloud explosion).
What is a layer of lead around the core of a nuclear reactor?
Blanket
The part of a nuclear reactor in which the fuel is located is called the?
core
What is layer of lead around the core of a nuclear reactor?
Blanket
What is the place where controlled nuclear fission reactions take place?
In the core of a nuclear reactor
What is the dangerous condition caused by overheating inside a nuclear reactor?
The dangerous condition we know as a meltdown is one wherein the reactor core becomes too hot and fuel rods or plates melt.
