A thermal reactor uses nuclear fission to produce electricity by splitting atoms, usually uranium. The heat generated is used to produce electricity, but the disposal of radioactive nuclear waste is a concern.
A thermal reactor is equipment used to produce energy, usually in the form of electricity, through the process known as nuclear fission. In fact, this type of reactor is often known as a nuclear thermal reactor because it is associated with the production of electricity through nuclear methods. These reactors are able to produce electricity relatively cleanly, but there are also some criticisms of this method.
For a thermal reactor to work, atoms must be split. This occurs when neutrons come into contact with atoms, especially large atoms such as uranium. While this can be done in a natural setting, it’s much more likely to happen in a thermal reactor because the speed of the neutrons is slowed down. This increases the chances of neutrons hitting a uranium atom. The process causes a chain reaction of atom splitting which creates a large amount of heat.
This heat inside the reactor is then used to heat water, or some other material, which is then used to turn turbines and produce electricity. The reactor, in effect, becomes the fuel source to produce the heat for electricity. There are so many atoms that this is considered a renewable energy source. Additionally, no carbon is burned in a thermal reactor, so this type of electrical generation does not contribute to greenhouse gases or other harmful effects on the environment.
To produce this heat, processed uranium fuel pellets containing uranium are arranged in bundles. These are then placed in the core of the thermal reactor, where the neutrons can have their effect on them. Just one of these packages can power 100 average homes over the course of a year. Eventually, the uranium atoms are split up to the point where they have all been spent. At that point the pellets, also called sticks, must be removed and replaced with fresh ones.
This removal and subsequent disposal is why many have doubts about using a thermal reactor to produce electricity. The remaining material is known as nuclear waste and is highly radioactive. This radiation has the potential to cause contamination and can be extremely harmful to humans and other life forms. To deal with this, there are temporary storage facilities at the location of the nuclear power plants, but these locations are considered to be temporary solutions only. No plausible and completely safe long-term solution has been found, although many are under study.
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