What are the applications of nuclear fission?

What are the applications of nuclear fission?

Nuclear fission is used to produce some less common radioisotopes like cesium-137 (Cs-137) by using uranium-235 which is used in photographic sources. Nuclear fission energy is also use as a power source for propelling submarines and some type of surface vessels.

What is the main function of breeder reactor?

Breeder reactors are designed to generate nuclear fuel at the same time as producing energy for electricity production. This is possible because a small number of isotopes will capture neutrons produced in a reactor, starting a reaction that leads to a new, heavy fissile isotope.

What is breeding in a nuclear reactor?

Ordinary motors need to be filled with fuel to produce energy. Nuclear Energy has a remarkable property: some nuclear reactors are designed to produce more fuel than it consumes. This extraordinary technique is known as ‘breeding’.

Which moderator is used in fast breeder reactor?

No moderator is used in the breeder reactor since fast neutrons are more efficient in transmuting U-238 to Pu-239. At this concentration of U-235, the cross-section for fission with fast neutrons is sufficient to sustain the chain-reaction.

What is breeder reactor PPT?

Breeder Reactor  The reactors which are designed so that breeding will take place is known as breeder reactor.  Breeder reactors are capable of producing more fissile material than they consume during the fission chain reaction (by converting fertile U-238 to Pu-239, or Th-232 to U-233).

How is a breeder reactor different from a nuclear reactor?

Whereas a conventional nuclear reactor can use only the readily fissionable but more scarce isotope uranium-235 for fuel, a breeder reactor employs either uranium-238 or thorium, of which sizable quantities are available. …

Why is it called a breeder reactor?

Reactors can be designed to maximize plutonium production, and in some cases they actually produce more fuel than they consume. These reactors are called breeder reactors. Breeder reactors are possible because of the proportion of uranium isotopes that exist in nature.

Why are breeder reactors used to breed nuclear fuel?

With increased concerns about nuclear waste, breeding fuel cycles became interesting again because they can reduce actinide wastes, particularly plutonium and minor actinides. Breeder reactors are designed to fission the actinide wastes as fuel, and thus convert them to more fission products.

Do light water reactors breed new fissile materials?

Today’s commercial light water reactors do breed some new fissile material, mostly in the form of plutonium. Because commercial reactors were never designed as breeders, they do not convert enough uranium-238 into plutonium to replace the uranium-235 consumed.

What is the conversion ratio of a uranium breeder reactor?

Pressurized heavy water reactors ( PHWR) running on natural uranium have a conversion ratio of 0.8. In a breeder reactor, the conversion ratio is higher than 1. “Break-even” is achieved when the conversion ratio reaches 1.0 and the reactor produces as much fissile material as it uses.

What is the difference between breeder reactor waste and light-water reactor waste?

Breeder reactor waste is mostly fission products, while light-water reactor waste has a large quantity of transuranics. After spent nuclear fuel has been removed from a light-water reactor for longer than 100,000 years, these transuranics would be the main source of radioactivity.