nuclear fuel
Fissile power source
Nuclear fuel is material that undergoes fission or fusion to produce energy in a nuclear reactor.
Uranium and plutonium are the most common nuclear fuels, processed into rods or pellets for controlled chain reactions: The plant needs to replace its nuclear fuel every few years.
Spent nuclear fuel remains radioactive and requires long-term storage.
Element ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- thoriumActinide, atomic number ninety
- uranium-235Fissile nuclear isotope
- uranium-238Predominant uranium isotope
plutonium-239 · yellowcake · hexafluoride · pellets · rods · enriched uranium · depleted uranium · cladding
Improvement through addition
- conversionAct of changing states
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- reprocessingHandling material again
- miningExtracting earth's resources
milling · storage · disposal · waste · centrifuge · vitrification · repository · front-end
Self-sustaining causal sequence
- critical massThreshold for self-sustaining reaction
- neutronsUncharged subatomic particles
- splittingDividing into parts
- fissileAble to split apart
cross-section · criticality · subcritical · supercritical · moderator · reactivity · transmutation
Central essential portion
- coolantTemperature-regulating fluid
- control rodsNeutron-absorbing reactor components
- pressurized waterLiquid under force
- boiling waterH2O at 212°F
heavy water · breeder reactor · molten salt · refueling · outage · burnup · containment
Restricting weapons dissemination
- safeguardsMeasures preventing harm
- IAEAU.N. atomic oversight body
- weapons-gradeEnriched for military use
- export controlsRestrictions on foreign sales
uranium
Element ninety-two
- plutoniumActinide, atomic number 94
- thoriumActinide, atomic number ninety
- uranium-235Fissile nuclear isotope
uranium-238 · plutonium-239 · yellowcake · hexafluoride · pellets · rods · enriched uranium · depleted uranium · cladding · actinides
enrichment
Improvement through addition
- conversionAct of changing states
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
- reprocessingHandling material again
mining · milling · storage · disposal · waste · centrifuge · vitrification · repository · front-end · back-end
chain reaction
Self-sustaining causal sequence
- critical massThreshold for self-sustaining reaction
- neutronsUncharged subatomic particles
- splittingDividing into parts
fissile · cross-section · criticality · subcritical · supercritical · moderator · reactivity · transmutation
core
Central essential portion
- coolantTemperature-regulating fluid
- control rodsNeutron-absorbing reactor components
- pressurized waterLiquid under force
boiling water · heavy water · breeder reactor · molten salt · refueling · outage · burnup · containment
nonproliferation
Restricting weapons dissemination
- safeguardsMeasures preventing harm
- IAEAU.N. atomic oversight body
- weapons-gradeEnriched for military use
- radioactive materialsuranium, plutonium, radium, thorium, radon
- energy sourcesoil, gas, coal, solar, wind
- fueldiesel, gasoline, petroleum, crude oil, petrol
- fuelsgasoline, diesel, coal, gas, petrol
- Nuclearatomic bomb, atomic bombs, uranium, reactors, fission
- nuclear energyuranium, plutonium, fission, fusion, reactor core
nuclear fuelfossil fuel
Energy from decomposed organisms
coal · natural gas · oil · petroleum · firewood
nuclear fuelsolar power
Energy derived from sunlight
wind power · renewable energy · hydropower · solar energy · wind energy
fuel, nuclear, nucleus, nucleic, nuclei, nuclide, nucleated, nuclearize