Breeder Reactor Fuel
27 Jun 2010
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Breeder Reactor Fuel Videos
Art Bell interviews Dr. Michio Kaku on Dec 15, 2003 [Part 4]
Breeder Reactor Fuel Q&A
Question about Nuclear fission... 10 pts, for the answer that made sense!?
Breeder reactors produce more fuel than they consume. does this mean that if we use breeder reactors, we will have a perpetual supply of plutonium for breeder fission? why or why not?
thanks in advance.
Well, the first thing you might notice about this question is that it makes it sound like a breeder reactor could supply energy forever and ever without outside input. This would be a kind perpetual motion machine, which can't ever work. You can never get something for nothing according to the law of conservation of energy.
So, given that you can't get something for nothing, but breeder reactors DO make more fuel for themselves, you have to ask, what do they use up to make that fuel. What is the something that you make the fuel from?
The answer is U238. This is an isotope (type) of uranium that is not good for fuel and is relatively common compared to the types that are good for fuel. Breeder reactors convert an unusable form of uranium into plutonium which makes good fuel. This can greatly increase the amount of nuclear fuel we have available, but eventually the U238 will run out and so the bredder reactor won't be able to make more fuel.
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No items matching your keywords were found.
Breeder Reactor Fuel Videos
Art Bell interviews Dr. Michio Kaku on Dec 15, 2003 [Part 4]
Breeder Reactor Fuel Q&A
breeder reactors question?
Breeder reactors A. 238U use as a fuel. B. produced from 238U 235U. C. produced from 235U 238U. D. 238U produce plutonium.
A and D are true. The farmer produces plutonium-239 from U-238. If you are looking for one answer, then (D) is the most accurate, because it could be considered as the Pu-239 primary fuel for the breeder. That's how it works. A reactor is constructed with a core of fissile plutonium, Pu-239. The plutonium-239 core is surrounded by a layer of uranium-238. As the plutonium-239 undergoes spontaneous fission, releasing neutrons. These neutrons make uranium-238 to plutonium-239. In other words, this fuel races reactor (Pu-239), since it operates. After all the uranium-238 has been changed to plutonium-239, the reactor is refueled.
Breeder Reactor Fuel Q&A
breeder reactors question?
Breeder reactors A. 238U use as a fuel. B. produced from 238U 235U. C. produced from 235U 238U. D. 238U produce plutonium.
A and D are true. The farmer produces plutonium-239 from U-238. If you are looking for one answer, then (D) is the most accurate, because it could be considered as the Pu-239 primary fuel for the breeder. That's how it works. A reactor is constructed with a core of fissile plutonium, Pu-239. The plutonium-239 core is surrounded by a layer of uranium-238. As the plutonium-239 undergoes spontaneous fission, releasing neutrons. These neutrons make uranium-238 to plutonium-239. In other words, this fuel races reactor (Pu-239), since it operates. After all the uranium-238 has been changed to plutonium-239, the reactor is refueled.
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