Fission reactors

Cold coolant is injected at the bottom. It passes into reactor vessel and through gaps in graphite core which hold moveable control rods. The now hot coolant is siphoned out.

A fission reactor contains a number of different parts:

- the uranium or plutonium that will split when triggered by an incoming . The fuel is held in rods so that the neutrons released will fly out and cause in other rods.
Moderator - - a graphite core, for example, slows the neutrons down so that they are more likely to be absorbed into a nearby fuel rod.
- these are raised and lowered to stop neutrons from travelling between fuel rods and therefore change the speed of the .
- this is heated up by the energy released from the fission reactions and is used to boil water to drive in the power station.
Concrete shield - the daughter products of the fission reaction are and can be a .

Many of the features of the reactor are designed to control the speed of the reaction and the temperature inside the shielding. An uncontrolled fission reaction is the basis of an .

Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power stations

Generating electricity using nuclear reactors carries high risk but offers large rewards. In operation, a very small amount of nuclear fuel will consistently generate a very large amount of electricity and generate very little polluting material. However, the financial costs of building and decommissioning a nuclear power station are very large, and the waste produced will remain radioactive - hazardous to humans and the environment - for thousands of years.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Produces no polluting gases.	Waste is radioactive and safe disposal is very difficult and expensive.
Does not contribute to global warming.	Local thermal pollution from wastewater affects marine life.
Very low fuel costs.	Large-scale accidents can be catastrophic.
Low fuel quantity reduces mining and transportation effects on environment.	Public perception of nuclear power is negative.
High technology research required benefits other industries.	Costs of building and safely decommissioning are very high.
Power station has very long lifetime.	Cannot react quickly to changes in electricity demand.

Advantages	Produces no polluting gases.
Disadvantages	Waste is radioactive and safe disposal is very difficult and expensive.

Advantages	Does not contribute to global warming.
Disadvantages	Local thermal pollution from wastewater affects marine life.

Advantages	Very low fuel costs.
Disadvantages	Large-scale accidents can be catastrophic.

Advantages	Low fuel quantity reduces mining and transportation effects on environment.
Disadvantages	Public perception of nuclear power is negative.

Advantages	High technology research required benefits other industries.
Disadvantages	Costs of building and safely decommissioning are very high.

Advantages	Power station has very long lifetime.
Disadvantages	Cannot react quickly to changes in electricity demand.

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Nuclear power - EdexcelFission reactors