Explain the parts of a nuclear power reactor.

Explanation

The main parts of a nuclear reactor are
(a) Nuclear fuel (b) Moderator
(c) Control rods (d) Nuclear reflector
(e)Cooling system (f) Safety system .
(a) Nuclear fuel : The fissionable material used in the reactor is called nuclear fuel . It may be natural uranium which contains only `0.02% of ._(92)U^(235)`.
(b) Moderator: Moderator is used to slow down the neutrons . Commonly used materials are heavy water and graphite.
(c) Control rods : Control rods are used to control the rate of reaction by absoerbing neutrons .
e.g. : Boron steel , Cadmium steel, Silver along with Cadmium (alloy).
(d) Neutron reflector : Neutron reflectors are used to avoid leakage of neutrons from the surface.
(e) Coolant : The material used to extract the heat generated as a chain reaction is called coolant. e.g.: Ordinary water, heavly water, air, Carbon dioxide, molten sodium.
(f) Shield : To protect the surroundings from harmful radiations the reactor is enclosed within walls called protective shield.