Nuclear power fuel rods replacement is done regularly but the half life of uranium is?

Question

Nuclear power fuel rods replacement is done regularly but the half life of uranium is thousands of years. So why thefuel rod replacements?

Answer 1

Half life is a measure of the time for natural decay of a radioactive isotope. In a nuclear reactor, the amount of Uranium is enriched to the point that nuetron decay from a single atom of Uranium produces fission neutrons that then collide with other Uranium atoms and cause additional fission. Since it takes only one neutron to cause a fision, and more than one are released, if the concentration of Uranium is sufficient, then a self sustaining chain reaction occurs and additional uranium fission occurs. In addition, when Uranium is split, the products produced from fision also release neutrons, further increasing the uranium fision process. So eventually the amount of Uranium decreases as fision continues until the fision rate is so low that it doesn't produce enough heat energy for the nuclear reactor. Thus it is "refueled" to allow for more controlled fision and heat generation.

Answer 2

The half-life of uranium is for the metal in exceedingly low concentrations. In a reactor, there are other decaying atoms. They give off alpha and beta particles and neutrons. That stimulates other U atoms to decay.

Taken to an extreme (like in a nuclear bomb that lacks the graphite control rods of a reactor), the rate of decay is about a quintillion (10E18) times faster - not billions of years but a fraction of a second.

Not all the uranium is used up. The fuel rods are reprocessed to recover U, Pu and other metals.

Note: For U-235 halflife = 700 million years and U-238 = halflife 4.5 billion years.

Answer 3

I think that uranium has a long half-life is that the atoms have split to a point that has released a lot of radio activity. And we have split the atoms into too many numbers which may cause a nucular explosion if not taken away but that is only what i think.

Answer 4

guns. Iran is administered through twisted Muslim extremists bent on exporting terrorism contained in the call of Islam. they have been shown to be targeted on terrorism and there is not any reason to trust they'd replace now. in the journey that they were extremely following Islam they would not act as they do. they have refused UN help in arising nuclear power. i ask your self why it really is? do not evaluate appeasing them. That befell contained in the 1930's in Europe and the right result became Hitler's Germany. those who do not study from heritage are doomed to repeat it! Iran is a snake coiled to strike. could we enable them to have venom of their chew? it is the country whose chief has been appropriately stated through multiple elements as pledging to interrupt Israel. Israel has had nuclear guns for years (this became not stated on the time) and has not used them. If Iran were to apply nukes Israel would retaliate and there will be some actual fairly sh!t taking position. What do you imagine?

Answer 5

did you not pay attention in class.... as it ages the uranium gets depleted to the point that it is not efficcinet.

Answer 6

Going way back I think it is something like 10,000 years.

Answer 7

uranium is kul man!!!