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A swimming pool reactor, also called an open pool reactor, is a type of nuclear reactor that has a core (consisting of the fuel elements and the control rods) immersed in an open pool of usually water. The water acts as neutron moderator, cooling agent and radiation shield.

Can you swim in a nuclear reactor pool?

If there's corrosion in the spent fuel rod casings, there may be some fission products in the water. They do a pretty good job of keeping the water clean, and it wouldn't hurt you to swim in it, but it's radioactive enough that it wouldn't be legal to sell it as bottled water.

What would happen if you fell into a nuclear reactor pool?

Not only does the water spend several decades cooling the fuel rods, but it also affects their radiation. The water essentially acts as a biological shield with hydrogen absorbing and deflecting the radiation bouncing against it. This makes it completely safe for you to stand near the pool with no ill effects.

How deep is a nuclear pool?

These pools are at least 20 feet deep and provide shielding and a cooling mechanism. It is then moved to large storage casks where it passively cools and awaits final disposal. Most nuclear fuel is composed of specific isotopes that will fission or will split apart, and release energy.

How hot is a nuclear reactor pool?

Reactor pools aren't actually as hot as you might imagine – most research reactor pools sit around a comfortable 35°C, and would shut down if they hit around 50°C.

How long does fuel last in a nuclear reactor?

Your 12-foot-long fuel rod full of those uranium pellet, lasts about six years in a reactor, until the fission process uses that uranium fuel up.

Why did Chernobyl explode?

The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. The resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the environment, with the deposition of radioactive materials in many parts of Europe.

What happens to water in spent fuel pool?

The spent fuel occupies roughly the bottom 4 meters of the pool and the surface of the water is typically about 7 meters above the top of the rods. In normal operation, electric pumps continually circulate the water in the pool, pulling out heated water, which is then cooled and sent back into the pool.

How long is nuclear waste stored in pools?

At present, the nation's nuclear facilities store spent fuel on-site in pools or dry casks. "Our agency is on record as being confident that fuel can be stored safely on-site at reactors in either pools or dry casks for at least 90 years," says David McIntyre, an NRC spokesman.

How many fuel rods are in a nuclear reactor?

Depending on the reactor type, each fuel assembly has about 179 to 264 fuel rods. A typical reactor core holds 121 to 193 fuel assemblies.