reactor core
Nuclear plant center
The reactor core is the central part of a nuclear reactor where fission occurs—the region containing fuel rods, control rods, and moderator material.
Heat generated in the core produces steam to drive turbines.
A core meltdown, where fuel overheats and liquefies, is the most serious nuclear accident: The Chernobyl reactor core exploded during a safety test.
- fissionNuclear breakup releasing energy
- critical massThreshold for self-sustaining reaction
- nuclear fuelRadioactive reactor feedstock
- fuel rodsEncased fissile material tubes
- uranium-235Fissile nuclear isotope
plutonium-239 · neutron · cladding · scram · emergency shutdown · heavy water · radioactive waste · nuclear power plant · atomic energy · isotope · shutdown · containment · control room · radiation · atoms · decay · rods · heat
- Coresnucleus, kernel, center
- Nuclearatomic bomb, nuclear energy, atomic bombs, uranium, nuclear fusion
- nuclear energynuclear power, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, uranium, plutonium
- Nuclear Plantscontrol rods, cooling tower, fuel rods, control room, nuclear fuel
- Nuclear Powernuclear plants, nuclear fuel, nuclear waste, uranium, plutonium
- nuclear sciencenuclear fission, nuclear physics, nuclear fusion, radiation, nuclear fuel
reactor corecooling system
Heat management mechanism
control rods · heat exchanger · condenser · shielding · cooling tower
core, reaction, interact, interaction, cores, cored, reactionary, overreact, reactive