Reactor and Reactor Kinetics

Component of a Reactor
1. The Reactor Core
- The heart of the nuclear reactor system
- Where the fission chain is sustained and most of fission energy is released as heat
- The core geometry is designed such that it allows the heat generated to be readily removed
by the reactor coolant
2. The Fuel Element
- Uranium is the basic fuel
- The fuel provided for the containment of the fuel and most of the fission products formed
3. Primary Coolant System
- Provides sufficient coolant circulation to remove the heat generated within the core and
transport the energy to a prime mover or to a secondary system which also transports to a
prime mover
- Typical coolants: H20, D20, Liquid Na, liquid organic compounds, air C02, He, boiling H20
4. Reflector
- The reflector surrounds the core
- The purpose of the reflector is to reduce the loss of neutrons from the core by scattering
back many of those which would otherwise escape.
- Reflector Material – determined by energy distribution of neutrons in the core
- Benefit of the reflector is to lower the critical mass of fissile nuclide
5. Moderator
- Used to slow down high-energy fission neutrons by mainly elastic scattering, to thermal
energies where the probability of fission is large.
- The best moderators are elements of low mass number with small neutron capture cross
section, e.g. H20, D20, Be, Be oxide, graphite
6. Containment Structure
- It is the structure around the reactor and is designed to protect it from the outside intrusion
and to protect those outside from the effects of radiations in case of any serious
malfunction inside. It is usually a metre thick and steel structure.
7. Steam Generator (Boiler)
- Part of the cooling system of some designs where the high pressure primary coolant
bringing heat from the reactor is used to make steam form the turbine, in a secondary
circuit.
- Transferring heat from one fluid to another.
8. Reactor Control System
- The reactor must bring the reactor to power, maintaining it there and shutting the reactor
down when desired using control rods and neutron poison
i) Control Rods – made up of neutron absorbing material (poison) inserted or
withdrawn from the core to control the rate of reaction, or to halt it. Control is
achieved by varying neutron density in the core. Example – Boron (B), Gadolinium
(Gd), Cadmium (Cd) and Dysprosium (Dy) all of these are poison material.
 ii) Neutron Poison – allows control of reactor during startup, operations at any desired
power level, and enables shutdown.
Insertion of poison material results in decrease of reactivity of the core, i.e.
decreases neutron density. Hence, reactor power is reduced. Withdrawing the
poison increases multiplying properties, which increase the neutron density and
power level.
9. Neutron Source
- In a new reactor with new fuel a neutron source is needed to get the reaction going and it is
usually Beryllium (Be) mixed with polonium (Po), radium (Ra) or other alpha-emitter
- Restarting a reactor with some used fuel may not require this, as there may be enough
neutrons to achieve critically when control rods are removed.

Reactor Kinetics