Nuclear energy

Nuclear energy

Nuclear binding energy is the energy required to split a nucleus of an atom into its component parts. The component parts are neutrons and protons, which are collectively called nucleons. The binding energy of nuclei is always a positive number, since all nuclei require net energy to separate them into individual protons and neutrons.

Industry: Energy

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Nuclear energy

Fuel temperature coefficient of reactivity

Energy; Nuclear energy

The change in reactivity per degree of change in the temperature of nuclear fuel. The physical property of fuel pellet material (uranium-238) that causes the uranium to absorb more neutrons away from ...

Fuel rod

Energy; Nuclear energy

A long, slender, zirconium metal tube containing pellets of fissionable material, which provide fuel for nuclear reactors. Fuel rods are assembled into bundles called fuel assemblies, which are ...

Fuel pellet

Energy; Nuclear energy

A thimble-sized ceramic cylinder (approximately 3/8-inch in diameter and 5/8-inch in length), consisting of uranium (typically uranium oxide, UO 2 ), which has been enriched to increase the ...

Fuel cycle

Energy; Nuclear energy

The series of steps involved in supplying fuel for nuclear power reactors include the following: * Uranium recovery to extract (or mine) uranium ore, and concentrate (or mill) the ore to produce ...

Fuel assembly

Energy; Nuclear energy

A structured group of fuel rods (long, slender, metal tubes containing pellets of fissionable material, which provide fuel for nuclear reactors). Depending on the design, each reactor vessel may have ...

Half-life

Energy; Nuclear energy

The time in which one half of the atoms of a particular radioactive substance disintegrate into another nuclear form. Measured half-lives vary from millionths of a second to billions of years. Also ...