Nuclear Reactor

A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid (water or gas), which runs through turbines that power either ship's propellers or generators. Some produce isotopes for medical and industrial use, and some are run only for research.

Read more about Nuclear Reactor:  How It Works, Early Reactors, Components, Nuclear Fuel Cycle, Safety, Accidents, Natural Nuclear Reactors

Famous quotes containing the word nuclear:

    Could it not be that just at the moment masculinity has brought us to the brink of nuclear destruction or ecological suicide, women are beginning to rise in response to the Mother’s call to save her planet and create instead the next stage of evolution? Can our revolution mean anything else than the reversion of social and economic control to Her representatives among Womankind, and the resumption of Her worship on the face of the Earth? Do we dare demand less?
    Jane Alpert (b. 1947)