pool type reactor

Pool type research reactor pulsating.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• reactor
• nuclear
• nuke
• cherenkov

[deepskyblues]

Sorry, didn't mean to spam, having connection difficulties. :)

[LeoGryffith]

@deepskyblues No problem, just errased one of your comment's copy. In fact this video is not mine, i have just uploaded it, because I thought it's interesting. :)

[bothenook]

in a nutshell, a $1.00 of reactivity is the amount needed to allow the reactor to be critical on prompt neutrons only. this is not typically a safe condition for normal operation, but in pulsing, the system is designed to immediately shutdown the reactor following the pulse. this limits the "uncontrollability" inherent in a core that doesn't use the delayed neutron population to regulate the generation of fissions.

[SuperDuran21]

^_^ ive seen this reactor... if you ever get a chance to see a reactor like this in real life, take it... it is sweet.

[hgryphon]

I don't understand the "dollar values" here, and while I didn't get a stopwatch out and time it, there didn't seem to be a difference between the $2.00 pulse and the $1.01 pulse...

[Manadox97]

Is so pretty, must touch, FRHFFGDJXSGWSFHIFDHIKFCVUGDVGT­GGVV *death*

[ApolloWasReal]

@EugeneLancelot It has to do with the chemical form of the fuel. The TRIGA uses uranium zirconium hydride. I think it has to do with the hydrogen being intimately mixed with the uranium so that when the U heats up, the H also immediately heats, expands and reduces its ability to moderate neutrons. But I'm not sure of the details.

[EugeneLancelot]

@ApolloWasReal I agree with you in every way and the neutrons emitted later are called delayed neutrons but what gives these reactors the fast negative feedback?

[ApolloWasReal]

@Azarien A "dollar" is the difference in reactivity between critical (where there are just enough neutrons to keep the chain reaction going, including delayed neutrons) and prompt critical (where there are enough prompt neutrons to keep the reaction going, without the delayed neutrons). The difference strongly influences how fast the reactor power increases. Fortunately, these reactors have some strong inherent negative feedback mechanisms to limit the amount of energy in a pulse.

[ApolloWasReal]

@EugeneLancelot In any reactor, power is grows or decreases exponentially. Normally this happens very slowly and the reactor is easy to control because a few % of the neutrons sustaining the chain reaction are emitted some time after fission. When "prompt" critical, prompt neutrons are enough to sustain the reaction so the power doubles every few milliseconds. These research reactors have inherent fast negative feedback, making them safe to operate prompt critical.

[rayrsa]

@PetaJUGENE Thanx! Your English is very well!

[rayrsa]

I have a noob question: What is that light really? Is it the "radiation" glowing? From movies, you are always left with the idea, that nuclear goo is glowing green. In "Widowmaker K-19" the guys working on the FUBAR reactor, is walking around in a blueish, glowing water. I was just thinking it was the Hollywood FX guys, trying to make it "flashy". By the way, respect to the guys who sacrificed themselves, trying to fix that reactor.

[EugeneLancelot]

@sweetness00peace critical just means the reactor is at power, basically up and running. Prompt critical is typically not a safe condition because it takes the reactor from a shutdown state to critical almost immediately (prompt) which isn't a desirable condition unless you are doing testing and maintenance on the control systems to see that they are working properly and respond correctly. I'm not sure which reactor this is but its probably used for teaching purposes as well as research