Nuclear reactorDevice for controlled nuclear reactionsFrom top, left to right Chicago Pile-1, the first artificial nuclear reactorShippingport Atomic Power Station, the first peacetime reactorHTR-10, a prototype to the first Generation IV reactor, HTR-PMThe Convair NB-36H, the first aircraft to test an onboard reactorOperation Sea Orbit, the first nuclear-powered surface vessel circumnavigationThe Chernobyl sarcophagus, built to contain the effects of the 1986 disasterA nuclear reactor is a device used to sustain a controlled fissionnuclear chain reaction.
Department of Atomic EnergyThe Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) (IAST: Paramāṇu Ūrjā Vibhāga) is an Indian government department with headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra. DAE was established in 1954 with Jawaharlal Nehru as its first minister and Homi Bhabha as its secretary. DAE has been engaged in the development of nuclear powertechnology, applications of radiation technologies in the fields of agriculture, medicine, industry and basic research.
UraniumUranium is a chemical element; it has symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium radioactively decays, usually by emitting an alpha particle. The half-life of this decay varies between 159,200 and 4.5 billion years for different isotopes, making them useful for dating the age of the Earth.
Nuclear fissionNuclear fission is a reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei. The fission process often produces neutrons and gamma rays, and releases a very large amount of energy even by the energetic standards of radioactive decay. The free energy released by the fission of one uranium-235 atom is about 100 million times the energy released by burning one carbon atom in air to produce CO2.
Enriched uraniumEnriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Naturally occurring uranium is composed primarily of three isotopes: uranium-238 (U, 99.2732–99.2752% natural abundance), uranium-235 (U, 0.7198–0.7210%), and uranium-234 (U, 0.0049–0.0059%).
Nuclear fuelMaterial fuelling nuclear reactorsA fuel assembly for a Russian VVER nuclear power plantNuclear fuel is any substance which is used by nuclear reactors or other nuclear devices as fuel to generate energy. Nuclear fuel contains fissile material, such as uranium, which undergoes nuclear fission in a reactor. The heat energy released by the fission of nuclear fuel can be converted into electricity in a nuclear power station.
Uranium dioxideUranium dioxide or uranium(IV) oxide (UO2), also known as urania or uranous oxide, is an oxide of uranium, and is a black, radioactive, crystalline powder that naturally occurs in the mineral uraninite. It is used in nuclear fuel rods in nuclear reactors. A mixture of uranium and plutonium dioxides is used as MOX fuel. It has been used as an orange, yellow, green, and black color in ceramic glazes and glass.Jaduguda uranium mineThe Jaduguda Mine (also spelt as Jadugoda or Jadugora) is a uranium mine in Jaduguda village in the Purbi Singhbhum district of the Indian state of Jharkhand. It commenced operation in 1967 and was the first uranium mine in India. The deposits at this mine were discovered in 1951. As of March 2012, India possesses eight functional uranium mines, including this Jaduguda Mine. A new mine, Tummalapalle uranium mine is discovered and mining is going to start from it.
ZirconiumTi↑Zr↓Hfyttrium ← zirconium → niobium
JharkhandJharkhand (Hindi: Jhārkhaṇḍ, pronounced [d͡ʒʱaːɾkʰəɳɖ] ; lit. 'the land of forests') is a landlocked state in eastern India. The state shares borders with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It is the 15th largest state by area, and the 14th largest by population. Hindi is the official language of the state.
Indian NavyThe Indian Navy (IN) (ISO: Bhāratīya Nau Senā) is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region, the Horn of Africa, the Strait of Malacca, and routinely conducts anti-piracy operations with other navies in the region.
Pressurized heavy-water reactorA pressurized heavy-water reactor (PHWR) is a nuclear reactor that uses heavy water (deuterium oxide D2O) as its coolant and neutron moderator. PHWRs frequently use natural uranium as fuel, but sometimes also use very low enriched uranium. The heavy water coolant is kept under pressure to avoid boiling, allowing it to reach higher temperature (mostly) without forming steam bubbles, exactly as for a pressurized water reactor (PWR).
Radioactive decayEmissions from unstable atomic nucleiRadioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.