What Is Quality Power Reactor?
Quality power reactors are typically the devices used to maintain a chain reaction producing a steady flow of neutrons. There are several kinds of reactors which are either differentiated by their design features or by their purpose. In terms of their purpose, they can be either power reactors or research reactors. Most nuclear electricity is generated using these two kinds of reactors which were first designed in the 1950s and improved since.
Research Reactors –
Research reactors are mostly used at research centers and at universities. They are also used in the countries where nuclear power reactors are not operated. Research reactors generate neutrons for multiple purposes such as for testing materials and conducting basic research, producing radiopharmaceuticals for medical diagnosis and therapy and so on.
Power Reactors –
Power reactors are basically found in nuclear power plants and used for electricity generation. They are operated in more than 30 countries. They are also used for district water production. In the form of smaller units, they also power ships.
Types of Quality Power Reactors –
Nuclear power reactors can be classified as per the type of fuel they use to generate heat.
- Uranium-fuelled Reactors
- Plutonium-fuelled Reactors
- Pressurised Water Reactors
- Boiling Water Reactors
How A Quality Power Reactor Works?
Even if there are many different types of power reactors, but one thing is common to them all is that they are designed to produce thermal energy that can be converted into mechanical energy or used for its own shake.
Just as conventional thermal power stations produce electricity by harnessing the thermal energy, nuclear reactors convert the energy released into thermal energy for further conversion to electrical or mechanical forms.