What is the difference between a pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor?

What is the difference between a pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor?

The main difference between a BWR and PWR is that in a BWR, the reactor core heats water, which turns to steam and then drives a steam turbine. In a PWR, the reactor core heats water, which does not boil. This hot water then exchanges heat with a lower pressure water system, which turns to steam and drives the turbine.

What are advantages and disadvantages of a BWR?

BWRs can prevent the risk of fire and investment cost plus construction times are lower than a PWR, but these advantages do not come with disadvantages. The core of a BWR is less compact and is bigger than a PWR because it requires more control rods and uses four times more fuel elements.

What is the advantages of pressurized water reactor?

[1] One major advantage of this reactor is that it is easy to operate because less power is being produced as the heat increases. [3] In addition, the core of the reactor contains less fissile material, decreasing the chances of additional fission events to occur, making the reactor safer and more controllable.

What is the difference between boiling water reactor and PWR?

The boiling water reactor does not use steam generators or pressure compensators. The reactor’s first circuit operates at a pressure of 70 atmospheres against 160 atmospheres used by PWR reactors (pressurized water reactor). It requires lower operating temperatures, even at fuel rods.

What percentage of nuclear reactors use the BWR reactor?

Approximately 22\% of the nuclear reactors installed in the different nuclear power plants use the BWR reactor. The BWR is a power reactor; that is, it is designed to generate electrical power. The most important feature of the Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) is that it uses light water (ordinary water) as a neutron moderator and a core coolant.

What is the difference between pressure vessel and pressurized water reactor?

The pressure vessel is subjected to less irradiation than in a pressurized water reactor. For this reason, the reactor vessel does not become so fragile with age. It is not possible to recharging nuclear fuel without stopping the atomic reactor. The management of the station is more complicated.

What happens to the water at the bottom of a reactor?

Water that has not evaporated in the reactor vessel accumulates at the bottom of the vessel and mixes with the pumped back feedwater. Since boiling in the reactor is allowed, the pressure is lower than that of the PWRs: it is about 60 to 70 bars. The fuel is usually uranium dioxide.