gas-cooled reactor
Definition
Noun: A gas-cooled reactor is a type of nuclear reactor that uses a gaseous substance, such as carbon dioxide or helium, as its primary coolant to remove heat from the reactor core.
Usage
The term is a compound noun used specifically in the fields of nuclear engineering and energy production. It describes a reactor's fundamental design characteristic based on its cooling method. * The gas-cooled reactor was an early design developed for both power generation and plutonium production. * Modern high-temperature gas-cooled reactors are considered potentially safer and more efficient.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often part of more specific technical classifications, such as Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) or High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR).
- It is frequently contrasted with other reactor types like or in technical discussions.
Variants and Related Words
- Gas-cooled: (Adjective) Describing something cooled by a gas. (e.g., ).
- Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR): (Compound Noun) A specific generation of gas-cooled reactors developed in the UK.
- High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR): (Compound Noun) A modern reactor design that uses helium gas and can operate at very high temperatures.
Synonyms
- GCR (Abbreviation): The common acronym for Gas-Cooled Reactor.
- There are no direct single-word synonyms, as it is a specific technical term. Descriptions like "a reactor cooled by gas" are paraphrases.
Related Phrases
- Coolant gas: The specific gas used in the reactor's cooling circuit.
- Reactor core: The central part of the reactor where the nuclear reaction occurs, which is cooled by the gas.
Noun
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a nuclear reactor using gas as a coolant
