heavy-water reactor

[′hev·ē ¦wȯd·ər rē′ak·tər]

(nucleonics)

A nuclear reactor in which heavy water serves as moderator and sometimes also as coolant.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Heavy-Water Reactor

a thermal reactor in which heavy water (D₂0) serves as the moderator. Because heavy water has a small neutron capture cross section, a heavy-water reactor may contain an extremely large fraction of fuel in the process of being generated as the original fuel is burned; the ratio of the weight of newly produced fuel to that of the burned fuel may be as high as 0.9. Ordinary water, heavy water, and certain gases, for example, steam and carbon dioxide, are used as coolants in heavy-water reactors.

Table 4. Production of diesel engines in the USSR¹
	1940	1950	1970	1975
¹ Excluding motor-vehicle and tractor engines
General-purpose diesels:
units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	12,140	54,322	59,627	65,235
total horsepower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	469,900	8,830,700	16,158,000	18,230,600

Construction and operating costs of heavy-water reactors are high because of the price of heavy water. The reactors are therefore used in industry only in countries where heavy water can be produced relatively cheaply, such as in Canada, where the electric power supplied by the country’s hydroelectric power plants costs very little.

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References in periodicals archive

They certainly don't need a heavy-water reactor at Arak in order to have a peaceful nuclear programme."

Iran agreement: Tehran gives the V-sign

But the spent fuel from a heavy-water reactor can be reprocessed to extract plutonium for use in a bomb.

International: Iran denies plant's link to nuclear ambition

"It is a forever agreement in a certain sense, with different stages." There are four pathways to a bomb in Iran -- a plutonium pathway through a heavy-water reactor; two pathways to a uranium bomb that involve the facilities at Natanz and Fordow; and covert activities, Moniz said.

Deal to limit Iran nuclear program "a forever agreement" with different stages - US

Sabotage afoot: The chiefofsecurityfor the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Asghar Zarean says plots to sabotage the heavy-water reactor building at Arak have been foiled He didn't describe what was to be sabotaged or by whom The allegation prompted doubts as the Arak site is just a construction zone with no nuclear or reactor components located there yet He didn't explain why anyone would want to sabotage what is just an empty building.

Sabotage afoot

According to Banerjee, "We will add eight to ten 700-megawatt pressurized heavy-water reactors, several fast-breeder reactors and an advanced heavy-water reactor, all of indigenous design."

India planning major expansion of its nuclear-power capacity

Iran has been a building a heavy-water reactor near the plant for two years, but the reactor is not scheduled for completion until 2009, the Associated Press reported.

Iran's heavy-water production plant goes into operation

On Arak heavy-water reactor, Salehi said the P5+1 group approved an Iranian suggestion to redesign the reactor "and the issue is almost finalized.

Iran completes downgrading enriched uranium from 20 to five pct - Salehi

It is also expected to ask Iran for explanations, such as the purpose of the facility, since whether the country needs a heavy-water reactor is unclear, the sources said.

Iran told IAEA about nuclear reactor program in May

The 700,000-kilowatt heavy-water reactor, the first such type of reactor to be used commercially in China for power generation, is located in the Taishan No.

China launches new commercial reactor in Zhejiang