How is heat transferred in a nuclear reactor?

For a reactor to operate in a steady state, all of the heat released in the system must be removed as fast as it is produced. This is accomplished by passing a liquid or gaseous coolant through the core and through other regions where heat is generated.

Is reactor a heat exchanger?

Abstract: A heat-exchanger/reactor (HEX reactor) is a kind of plug-flow chemical reactor which combines high heat transfer ability and chemical performance. It is a compact reactor designed under the popular trend of process intensification in chemical engineering.

Where heat is generated in a reactor?

Step One: Split Atoms to Create Heat When a reactor starts, the uranium atoms in the reactor core split, releasing neutrons and heat, and kick off an ongoing chain reaction that generates more neutrons and heat. While other power plants burn fuel to create steam and turn the turbine, nuclear power plants are unique.

How is heat generated inside a reactor core extracted?

The fissioning of atoms in the chain reaction also releases a large amount of energy as heat. The generated heat is removed from the reactor by a circulating fluid, typically water. This heat can then be used to generate steam, which drives turbines for electricity production.

What is heat reactor?

A reactor in which the fission chain reaction is sustained primarily by thermal neutrons. Most current reactors are thermal reactors.

Why is it necessary to use a heat exchanger in a nuclear reactor?

Heat exchanger is applied to a piece of equipment that is used to recover heat between two process streams. Heaters are used primarily to heat process fluids, and steam is usually employed for this purpose. Liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers are found in nuclear power plants for services such as moderator cooling.

How is heat removed from a reactor?

In a power reactor, the heat generated in the fuel as a result of fission is removed by passing a coolant through the reactor core. The coolants most commonly used are water, heavy water, carbon dioxide, and liquid sodium.

What’s inside nuclear reactor?

A reactor core is typically made up of a couple hundred assemblies, depending on power level. Inside the reactor vessel, the fuel rods are immersed in water which acts as both a coolant and moderator. The heat created by fission turns the water into steam, which spins a turbine to produce carbon-free electricity.

What is the use of heat exchanger reactor?

In the nuclear power plants called pressurized water reactors, special large heat exchangers pass heat from the primary (reactor plant) system to the secondary (steam plant) system, producing steam from water in the process. These are called steam generators.