Week 7 Nuclear Fission Part 2 & Nuclear Fusion Part 1 Flashcards

1
Q

what are the 6 key parts of a fission reactor

A
fuel
moderator
coolant
control system
reflector
containment system
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2
Q

what are the two types of fission reactor

A

pressurised water reactor

boiling water reactor

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3
Q

describe the two ways to enrich nuclear fuel

A

gas diffusion - difference in diffusion rate due to size

gas centrifuge - centrifugal force leads to radial separation in rotating column

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4
Q

why is the moderator important

A

it is needed to achieve thermal neutrons

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5
Q

give 2 of the 5 key properties of an ideal moderator

A
low atomic mass
minimal neutron capture cross section 
high density
chemically stable
cheap & abundant
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6
Q

what are two common moderators

A

water and heavy water (D2O)

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7
Q

what is often required of a coolant

A

large heat capacity

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8
Q

what do control rods do

A

stop or slow down the reaction

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9
Q

what is the carnot heat engine efficiency equation

A

η = W/Q = 1 - Tcondensor/Tcore

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10
Q

what is the general concept of fusion

A

two light nuclei fuse together to form a larger nuclei releasing energy in the process

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11
Q

what two things can reduce the energy threshold for a fusion reaction

A

quantum tunneling

distribution of energy for a specific temperature

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12
Q

which fusion reaction produces the most energy

A

reactions that lead to the production of an alpha particle

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13
Q

what is the reaction rate of a fusion reaction

A

R = n1n2

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14
Q

what are the 4 parts of a fusion reaction

A

require a minimum of energy to start
produce a lot of energy
have a large reaction rate
easy to produce

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15
Q

what is conservation of energy and Q equation

A

1/2mava^2 = Q / (1 + ma/mb)

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16
Q

what does the fusion conservation equations suggest

A

most of the energy goes with the neutron

17
Q

what is the fusion gain factor equation

A

Q = Pfusion / Pheating

18
Q

what are three fusion gain factor scenarios

A
Q = 1 break point - net energy neutral
Q = ∞ Ignition point - no longer need external power
Q = 10-20 Feasible reactor
19
Q

define Lawson criterion and give its equation

A

Lawson criterion - condition for output power to exceed input power
nτE > 12kT/Qα = f(T)
Qα is the energy per reaction of an alpha particle
τE is the energy confinement time

20
Q

what are the two types of confinement for a fusion reactor

A

magnetic confinement

inertial confinement