fuel rods
Nuclear power source
Fuel rods are long, slender tubes containing nuclear fuel—typically uranium or plutonium pellets—used in nuclear reactors.
Bundled together in fuel assemblies, they sustain the controlled fission reactions that generate heat for power production.
Spent fuel rods remain highly radioactive and require careful storage: The plant began replacing its aging fuel rods.
Element ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- enrichmentImprovement through addition
- isotopesAtomic number twins
chain reaction · criticality · neutrons · moderator · breeder · thorium · U-235 · transmutation
Small compressed spheres
Handling material again
- storageSpace for keeping goods
- disposalAct of throwing away
- vitrificationTransformation into glass
- repositoryPlace for storing things
Catastrophic loss of control
Temperature-regulating fluid
- coreCentral essential portion
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
- scramDepart hastily, informally
- shutdownCessation of operations
reactivity · cooling · PWR · poison · insertion
uranium
Element ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- enrichmentImprovement through addition
isotopes · chain reaction · criticality · neutrons · moderator · breeder · thorium · U-235 · transmutation · burnup
pellets
Small compressed spheres
plenum · sheath · tubing · alloy · sintered · ceramic · stack
reprocessing
Handling material again
- storageSpace for keeping goods
- disposalAct of throwing away
- vitrificationTransformation into glass
repository · half-life · radioactive decay · back-end · actinides
meltdown
Catastrophic loss of control
Fukushima · Chernobyl · Three Mile Island · containment breach
coolant
Temperature-regulating fluid
- coreCentral essential portion
- containmentPreventing hostile expansion
- scramDepart hastily, informally
- nuclear fueluranium, uranium enrichment, enriched uranium, plutonium, plutonium-239
- Nuclearnuclear reactor, atomic bomb, nuclear energy, atomic bombs, uranium
- nuclear energynuclear power, nuclear reactors, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, uranium
- Nuclear Plantsreactor, reactor core, cooling tower, control room, coolant
- Nuclear Powernuclear reactors, nuclear plants, nuclear waste, uranium, plutonium
- nuclear sciencenuclear fission, nuclear physics, nuclear fusion, radiation, nucleus
fuel rodscoal
Combustible sedimentary rock
natural gas · solar panels · wind turbines · biomass · fossil fuels
fuel, rods, fuels, fueled, fueling, refuel, fossil fuel, refueling, refueled