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Nuclear Power

Pebble Bed Reactor

Usage Globally
Light Water Reactor
Pebble Bed Reactor
Pros and Cons
New England?
Seabrook, NH?

Explain how a pebble bed reactor works and why it is considered to be foolproof.

  • Reactor core contains "pebbles" about the size of tennis balls
  • Within each pebble are thousands of microspheres which contain radioactive fuel
  • Inert Gas is used instead of water as the coolant
  • Heated gas runs through a turbine to generate power


Safety and Efficiency:
  • Gas is coolant so no intricate system of pipes is required
  • Are designed with many protective walls that prevent meltdowns, spewage, or any other contact between RA fuel and the biosphere
  • tend to be able to use a wider variety of fuels than tradition NPPs
  • Due to the lack of a complex steam system, pebble bed reactors are about 10-15% more efficient

reactorr.jpeg (pebble bed reactor schematic graphic) (pebble and microsphere cross-section images) (pebble bed reactor construction and advantages report) (pebble bed reactor- general information)