Whats starts the chain reaction in a Nuke Plant?

Question

i understand Fission and how it works.Just wondering how they get the first Neutrons to start splitting other uranium atoms starting the chain reaction...By heating up the Uranium pellets in the rods?

Broxolm answered it...Thats what i wanted to know what initially starts the process...Heat & Pressure on the U-235 atoms starts the chain reaction

Answer 1

Heat and pressure are not required. U235 atoms are naturally unstable and release neutrons. Get enough U235 together in one place, and the neutrons released naturally will be captured by other U2335 atoms which become unstable, release more neutrons, etc.

Answer 2

You mean what initially starts the fission process? Or the action that will cause the fission process to become uncontrolled?

The process that starts the fission is just heat and pressure. The same way the sun makes energy is the same way nuclear power is made. Under extreme temperature and pressure, Uranium atoms will become so excited that they break apart the protons of each other. This fission releases the "weak force" in the atom producing energy.

If the uranium becomes to excited, it will release more energy than what is controllable. As you may know, when you add to much energy to any system, the system explodes. Its as simple as that.

Answer 3

The particles of Uranium or Plutonium were giving off those neutrons in the ground before they were ever dug up and combined with other particles of the same material that were also already emitting neutrons. I believe the key is make sure you're absorbing them from the fuel and to "start" the reaction you simply slow down how much absorbing you do, allowing the neutrons to react with the fuel rod instead of the neutron absorbing material.

Answer 4

It depends on which type of reactor you're refering to. In a pebble bed reactor the uranium, thorium or plutonium nuclear fuels are in the form of a ceramic (usually oxides or carbides) contained within spherical pebbles made of pyrolytic graphite, which acts as the primary neutron moderator. Each sphere is effectively a complete "mini-reactor", containing all of the parts that would normally be separate components of a conventional reactor. Simply piling enough of the fuel spheres together will eventually reach criticality.

The primary advantage of a pebble bed reactor is that it can be designed to be inherently self-controlling. As the reactor gets hotter, the energy spectrum of the neutrons released by fission will be randomized by the Doppler effect.

Answer 5

The nuclear reaction in a bomb does no longer have administration rods (rods of chemically-solid metallic) to take up the better skill. that means that the reaction keeps to get higher and larger till each and each and every of the bomb gasoline is spent. In a nuclear skill plant, they upload administration rods to the blend. they could placed the administration rods out and in of the blend (type of like an digital mixer for cake batter or a whisk). The administration rods will block many of the neutrons of the reaction, combating them from continuing the chain reaction.

Answer 6

Ok listen up. It is a thermal neutron that can come from the enviroment or another atom and has been moderated. Which one? well that gets into the problem of hidden variables and physicists have come to blows over that question

Answer 7

no... when the cadnium rods are not absorbing the sub-atomic particles in sufficent numbers... the reaction will take off... in an uncontrolled manner.

Answer 8

It begins when the guy at the switchboard drops his donut. Then this ominous music begins playing in the background ... then you're really screwed!

Answer 9

when you heat(excite) hydrogen to a certian point it explodes. add a laser pon point to the mix and kaboom

Answer 10

I have no idea.