Regarding the technological specifications, moderator requirements, and fuel cycles of nuclear power reactors developed under India's nuclear energy roadmap, which of the following statements are correct?
- Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) utilize natural uranium as fuel and heavy water () as both coolant and moderator.Answer
- Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) utilize liquid sodium as a coolant and operate without a neutron moderator to sustain fast neutron fission.Answer
- CPressurised Heavy Water Reactors require enriched uranium fuel because deuterium absorbs neutrons more strongly than light water.
- The Kamini research reactor at Kalpakkam is notable for using Uranium-233 fuel bred from thorium irradiation.Answer
Answer
The statements stating that PHWRs use natural uranium with heavy water as moderator/coolant, FBRs use liquid sodium without a moderator, and the Kamini reactor uses Uranium-233 fuel are all correct.
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors efficiently maintain criticality using natural uranium because heavy water minimizes neutron capture. Fast Breeder Reactors require fast neutrons to breed fissile plutonium, which necessitates a non-moderating coolant like liquid sodium. Kamini is a pioneering reactor running on Uranium-233 fuel.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Nuclear reactor physics, coolant/moderator selection, and stage-wise fuel cycles in nuclear power programs.