Which reactor is widely used for power production and uses ordinary water as both coolant and moderator, and runs on enriched uranium?

Which reactor is widely used for power production and uses ordinary water as both coolant and moderator, and runs on enriched uranium?

• A. Light Water Reactors
• B. Heavy Water Reactors
• C. Candu Reactor
• D. AGR Reactor

Answer: (A)

Light water reactors use ordinary water as both coolant and moderator and run on enriched uranium fuel. This combination is the standard setup for the vast majority of commercial power reactors worldwide, with designs like PWRs and BWRs relying on light water to slow neutrons and carry away heat efficiently. The use of enriched uranium provides a suitable balance of fissile material to sustain a controlled chain reaction at the reactor’s operating conditions. In contrast, heavy water reactors use heavy water as the moderator (often allowing natural uranium fuel), CANDU is a specific heavy-water design, and gas-cooled reactors like AGR use carbon dioxide with a graphite moderator, not water. So the described scenario points to light water reactors.

Light water reactors use ordinary water as both coolant and moderator and run on enriched uranium fuel. This combination is the standard setup for the vast majority of commercial power reactors worldwide, with designs like PWRs and BWRs relying on light water to slow neutrons and carry away heat efficiently. The use of enriched uranium provides a suitable balance of fissile material to sustain a controlled chain reaction at the reactor’s operating conditions. In contrast, heavy water reactors use heavy water as the moderator (often allowing natural uranium fuel), CANDU is a specific heavy-water design, and gas-cooled reactors like AGR use carbon dioxide with a graphite moderator, not water. So the described scenario points to light water reactors.