How do you control the neutrons in the reactor?

Inside the reactor vessel, the fuel rods are immersed in water which acts as both a coolant and moderator. The moderator helps slow down the neutrons produced by fission to sustain the chain reaction. Control rods can then be inserted into the reactor core to reduce the reaction rate or withdrawn to increase it.

How can neutron leakage be reduced?

Neutron reflectors surround reactor cores to minimize leakage. The neutron reflector scatters back (or reflects) into the core many neutrons that would otherwise escape. By reducing neutron leakage, the reflector increases keff and reduces the amount of fuel necessary to maintain the reactor critical for a long period.

How do you control the rate of a nuclear reaction in a reactor?

The moderator and control rods together control the rate of reaction in the core of the nuclear reactor. Most nuclear reactors use water as a moderator, which can also act as a coolant, although some do use graphite rods.

What do control rods do in a nuclear reactor?

A rod, plate, or tube containing a material such as hafnium, boron, etc., used to control the power of a nuclear reactor. By absorbing neutrons, a control rod prevents the neutrons from causing further fissions.

How are nuclear reactors controlled?

Most reactors are controlled by means of control rods that are made of a strongly neutron-absorbent material such as boron or cadmium. These fast neutrons are slowed through the use of a moderator such as heavy water and ordinary water. Some reactors use graphite as a moderator, but this design has several problems.

What is meant by leakage of neutrons?

Neutrons that escape from the vicinity of the fissionable material in a reactor core. Neutrons that leak out of the fuel region are no longer available to cause fission and must be absorbed by shielding placed around the reactor pressure vessel for that purpose.

How much heat does a nuclear power plant produce?

The potential application of nuclear heat depends mainly on the temperature required. With reactor output temperatures of up to 700 °C there is a wide range of possible applications, at 900 °C there are further possibilities, and at 950 °C an important future application to hydrogen production opens up.

Which of the following is used as control rods in nuclear reactor?

We can use cadmium rods as control rods because they have the ability to absorb neutrons without fissioning themselves.