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What a
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Nuclear Reactor
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Does
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natural uranium for fuel. But the uranium is not burned. Uranium
(and heat).
Fission Product
In a power reactor, the chain reaction is
tightly controlled to produce only the Uranium Atom
amount of heat needed to generate a spe-
Neutron
cific amount of electricity.
Steam
Steam Turbine
Boiler
Generator
Pump
Reactor
Circulating Cooling Water
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reactors is first formed into ceramic pellets and then
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sealed into metal tubes. The tubes are assembled into
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fuel bundles weighing about 22 kilograms each. One
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bundle produces the same amount of heat as 400
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tonnes of coal.
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The Calandria
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The heart of an Ontario Power Generation reactor is a
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large cylindrical tank filled with the heavy water moder-
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ator. This tank, or calandria, is penetrated horizontally
by several hundred fuel channels. Twelve or thirteen
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fuel bundles are placed end-to-end in each fuel channel
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as shown in the picture. Pressurized heavy water is
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pumped through the fuel channels where it is heated by
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the fuel to 300ºC. It then travels to a boiler to boil ordi-
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nary water into high-pressure steam that drives the tur-
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bine/generator to produce electricity. Upon cooling the
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heavy water is returned to the reactor to pick up more
heat and the ordinary water is recirculated to the boiler
to be reheated.
Tower
Steam Turbine Generator
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Boiler
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Exhaust Fan
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P
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Filter
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System
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Pressure Relief Valves Fuel Bundle Reactor Pump Cooling Water from Lake
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