Discover published sets by community

Fuel rods are long, slender rods filled with pellets of fissionable material and are the basic fuel units used in a nuclear reactor to sustain the nuclear chain reaction.

Thermal efficiency in the context of a nuclear power plant is the ratio of the electrical output to the thermal energy produced by the nuclear reactions, indicating the plant's overall efficiency.

The secondary circuit in a nuclear power plant transfers heat from the reactor's coolant to water in separate pipes, turning it into steam to drive the turbines without radioactive contamination.

A SCRAM is an emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor - the control rods are inserted fully into the reactor core to halt the fission reaction as quickly as possible.

A coolant in a nuclear reactor is a fluid or gas that removes heat from the core and transfers it to a steam generator or directly to a turbine. It is crucial for maintaining safe operational temperatures.

The reactor core is the portion of a nuclear reactor where the nuclear reactions take place. It contains the nuclear fuel, control rods, moderator, and coolant.

A pressurized water reactor is a design that maintains water under high pressure in the primary circuit, so it does not boil. Heat is transferred to a secondary circuit to generate steam.

A moderator in a nuclear reactor slows down fast neutrons to thermal energies to increase the probability that they will cause fission when colliding with the nuclear fuel.

Decay heat is the residual heat produced by the decay of radioactive fission products following the shutdown of a nuclear reactor. Managing decay heat is essential for reactor safety.

A neutron absorber is a material that absorbs neutrons, thus reducing the number of free neutrons available to continue the fission chain reaction in a nuclear reactor.

A boiling water reactor is a type of nuclear reactor where the coolant, usually water, is allowed to boil within the reactor core. The steam generated drives the turbines directly.

Control rods in a nuclear reactor are used to control the fission rate of uranium and plutonium. They are made of neutron-absorbing material and can be inserted or withdrawn from the reactor core to manage reactivity and power output.

Decontamination in nuclear operations involves the removal of radioactive contaminants from equipment or surfaces to ensure safe operation and maintenance of a nuclear power plant.

Dose rate in nuclear power operations refers to the amount of radiation absorbed by a person or an object per unit of time, measured in rems/hour or sieverts/hour.

A steam generator in a nuclear power plant is a heat exchanger that uses the heat produced by the nuclear reactor to convert water into steam, which then powers the turbines.

The nuclear fuel cycle is a series of industrial processes involving the production of electricity from uranium in nuclear power reactors. It includes mining, enrichment, fuel fabrication, use in reactors, and waste management.

A nuclear meltdown is a severe nuclear reactor accident that results from overheating of the reactor core, potentially leading to core damage and the release of radioactivity into the environment.

The Reactor Pressure Vessel is the robust steel container that holds the nuclear reactor core and the coolant, maintaining the high pressure needed to keep the water in liquid form at high temperatures.

The capture cross-section is a measure of the probability that a neutron will be absorbed by a particular nucleus, influencing neutron population and the reactivity of a reactor.

Reactivity in a nuclear reactor is a measure of the change in the neutron population over the course of one generation, with respect to the critical steady-state condition.

A radiation area within a nuclear power plant is any area where radiation levels exceed certain thresholds, necessitating protective measures and controlled access for personnel.

Isotope separation is the process of concentrating specific isotopes of a chemical element by removing other isotopes – for example, the enrichment of uranium-235 for use in nuclear reactors.

An isolation condenser is a passive safety system in some reactors, designed to remove residual heat from the reactor core by condensing steam in a heat exchanger, without external power.

A reactor trip is the automatic rapid shutdown of a nuclear reactor in response to certain predetermined conditions that may pose risks to the reactor's safe operation.

Dry cask storage is a method of storing spent nuclear fuel that has been cooled in the spent fuel pool for several years. It's an interim solution before final disposal.

Boron is used in nuclear reactors as a neutron absorber due to its high cross-section for neutron capture. It can be added to the coolant water as boric acid to control the reactivity.

The Emergency Core Cooling System is designed to provide cooling to the reactor core during accident conditions, particularly if the normal cooling paths are not available.

Radioactive waste is any waste that contains radionuclides at concentrations or activities greater than clearance levels as established by regulatory bodies. It is a byproduct of nuclear reactors and needs careful disposal.

In nuclear engineering, a stress test evaluates a nuclear plant's safety margins and capabilities to withstand extreme events and conditions beyond its design basis.

A containment building in a nuclear power plant is a gas-tight structure enclosing the reactor and its coolant system, preventing the release of radioactive steam or gases into the environment.

Fuel enrichment is a process used to increase the percentage of the isotope uranium-235 in natural uranium, which enhances the uranium's ability to sustain a nuclear chain reaction.

Peak cladding temperature is the maximum temperature reached by the zirconium alloy tubes containing the nuclear fuel (cladding) during normal operation or accident conditions, indicating the safety margin to avoid cladding failure.

Feedwater is water that is fed into a steam generator to be turned into steam, replacing water that has been converted to steam and passed to the turbine. It's part of the water-steam cycle in a nuclear power plant.

A turbine in a nuclear power plant is a rotary engine that converts the kinetic energy of steam into electrical energy by spinning the rotor of an electric generator.

Stochastic effects of radiation are chance-based health effects that increase in probability with increasing radiation dose without a threshold; these can include cancer and genetic mutations.

Depleted uranium is uranium that has a lower content of the isotope uranium-235 than natural uranium. It results from the process of enriching uranium and has military and industrial uses.

Radiological protection in nuclear power plants involves measures, procedures, and protocols to protect workers, the public, and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

Radiation shielding in a nuclear power plant is the use of materials like lead or concrete to protect personnel, equipment, and the environment from harmful ionizing radiation.

Nuclear criticality safety is the prevention of nuclear chain reactions in fissionable materials outside the controlled conditions of a reactor, essential in processing, handling, and storing these materials.

Radiobiology is the study of the biological effects and health risks of ionizing radiation on living organisms, fundamental to understanding radiation protection and safety in nuclear engineering.