| Fuel Element Failure |
Article Index for Fuel |
Website Links For Fuel |
Information AboutFuel Element Failure |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT FUEL ELEMENT FAILURE | |
| nuclear safety | |
| nuclear chemistry | |
| radioactive waste | |
|
Because the radioactive metals (such as Uranium and Plutonium ) used in the most common types of nuclear reactors (such as Pressurized Water Reactor s and Boiling Water Reactor s) are not structurally strong and are susceptible to Corrosion , they are formed into Fuel Element s by shaping them into rods or pellets, then Cladding them with a corrosion resistant Alloy (such as Zircaloy ). Those elements are then assembled into channels for the coolant to flow through. As the fuel Fissions , the radioactive Fission Product s are also contained by the cladding, and the entire fuel element can then be disposed of as Nuclear Waste when the reactor is refueled. If, however, the cladding is damaged, the fuel and fission products can enter the reactor coolant or storage water and be carried out of the core, into the rest of the reactor plant, drastically increasing radiation and contamination levels. |
|
|