How does a nuclear reactor work? (BWR Edition)
BWR's (Boiling water reactors) are composed of the,
reactor fuel: low-enriched uranium. Control rods: Boron Carbide (B4C) and of course feed water...
The feed water acts as a neutron flux moderator, allowing fission to occur, thus reaching a state of criticality. The control rods are used to slow and control amount of fission occurring, thus controlling power output.
Water is also used to control the temperature of the fuel, so that the fuel does not overheat, causing a melt down. Nuclear fuel doesnt go cold because it is not on fire, it is radioactively hot, meaning it is extremely radioactive. Moving on, once criticality is reached, the fuel will begin generating heat (the splitting of the atoms generates heat). This turns the water into steam, which is used to turn a turbine, making electricity.