2 ms·
> So, in a conventional reactor, you use nuclear fission to heat/pressurize water and then use your hot, slightly radioactive steam turn a turbine. Only in the
by Manuel_D 4y ago
> So, in a conventional reactor, you use nuclear fission to heat/pressurize water and then use your hot, slightly radioactive steam turn a turbine.
Only in the more primitive reactor designs (BWR, Boiling Water Reactor). Most are of the PWR, Pressurized Water Reactor, design. In these, the water in the reactor is still liquid due to being held at pressure. This pressurized water is run through a steam generator [1] that boils non-radioactive water that never comes into contact with the reactor.
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_generator_(nuclear_power) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_generator_(nuclear_power...
- acidburnNSA 4y ago> Only in the more primitive reactor designs (BWR, Boiling Water Reactor). TRIGGERED :). The BWR was developed after the PWR specifically to be more economical for terrestrial large-scale power generation. The PWR was designed to be compact and to work on a submarine. So the BWR is the more advanced design for power plants, arguably. https://whatisnuclear.com/reactor_history.html#the-development-of-the-boiling-water-reactor https://whatisnuclear.com/reactor_history.html#the-developme...