Question

Describe the operation of the modern pressurized water nuclear reactor. Be sure to include information concerning fuel rods, control rods, moderators, steam turbine, and electric generator.

Answer 1

Pressurised nuclear reactors are majority of the neuclar reactors throughout the world.
in this, the reactor pressure vessel is engaged in a fission chain reaction, which prodices heat, heating the water in the primary coolant loop by conduction.
the hot primary coolant is pumped into a secondary heat exchanger, called the steam generator. Here the coolant passes through distributed network of pipes in heat exchanger in the process boiling water and creating steam. there is no mixing of two coolants to prevent radioactive leakage.
the steam passes through stemam turbine to convert the thermal energy of steam into shaft power and later which when fed to generator creates electric power

the fuel is inserted into the nuclear reactor in the shpe of rods from the top along with control rods which are made up of boron etc to absorb the free nutrons from the fission to prevent uncontrolled chain reaction, the level of these control rods in the pressure reactor decides the rate of heat generation by the reactor