Water-cooled Reactor (Noun)
Meaning
Nuclear reactor using water as a coolant.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The most common type of nuclear reactor is the water-cooled reactor, which surrounds the core with water to absorb heat energy and prevent overheating.
- Most nuclear reactors in the United States are water-cooled reactors, built to utilize the power of nuclear reactions while minimizing risk.
- There are several versions of the water-cooled reactor, each with different internal arrangements and designs to transfer heat to the secondary circuit.
- Water-cooled reactors use a simple yet effective cooling mechanism in which the residual heat produced by the core can be dissipated to the surroundings via circulation.
- In a water-cooled reactor, the coolant can also serve as an effective neutron moderator, which enhances the rate at which nuclear fission occurs within the core.