In progress · Inside a PWR
Why put the water under so much pressure?
I’m guessing the pressure helps water carry heat more efficiently, but I don’t really know what makes a pressurized-water reactor different.
Work through the questionsThe journey
What I’m asking, what I thought was happening, and what I find out.
Accidents and disasters
Chernobyl
What kind of reactor was Chernobyl, and how do these pieces fit together?
I remember a turbine test, xenon building up, and control rods being withdrawn to recover power. I’m not sure whether it was a PWR or a BWR, or exactly how the graphite changed things. What fascinates me is the state of the core: could it look steady at one point, but be dangerous to move into another state?
Work through the questionsQuestions ahead
Not yet investigated
- Radioactive products
What other uses could we find for the products of fission?
- Chemistry & biology
Could biological processes help us recover useful materials?
- Energy use
What could we do with electricity that would otherwise go unused?