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Boiling water reactor
Type of nuclear reactor that directly boils water / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A boiling water reactor (BWR) is a type of light water nuclear reactor used for the generation of electrical power. It is the second most common type of electricity-generating nuclear reactor after the pressurized water reactor (PWR), which is also a type of light water nuclear reactor.
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- Reactor pressure vessel
- Nuclear fuel element
- Control rods
- Recirculation pumps
- Control rod drives
- Steam
- Feedwater
- High-pressure turbine
- Low-pressure turbine
- Generator
- Exciter
- Condenser
- Coolant
- Pre-heater
- Feedwater pump
- Cold-water pump
- Concrete enclosure
- Connection to electricity grid
The main difference between a BWR and PWR is that in a BWR, the reactor core heats water, which turns to steam and then drives a steam turbine. In a PWR, the reactor core heats water, which does not boil. This hot water then exchanges heat with a lower pressure system, which turns water into steam that drives the turbine.
The BWR was developed by the Argonne National Laboratory and General Electric (GE) in the mid-1950s. The main present manufacturer is GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, which specializes in the design and construction of this type of reactor.