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Boiling water reactor
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{{short description|Nuclear reactor where water boils in core}} {{Multiple image | direction = vertical | image1 = Leibstadt Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG.jpg | caption1 = The [[Leibstadt Nuclear Power Plant]] in Switzerland. | image2 = BWR nuclear power plant animation.ogv | align = right | width = 300 | caption2 = An animation of a BWR power station with [[cooling towers]]. | alt1 = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leibstadt_Nuclear_Power_Plant | thumbtime2 = 2 }} A '''boiling water reactor''' ('''BWR''') is a type of [[nuclear reactor]] used for the generation of electrical power. It is the second most common type of electricity-generating nuclear reactor after the [[pressurized water reactor]] (PWR). BWR are [[thermal neutron]] reactors, where water is thus used both as a coolant and as a [[Neutron moderator|moderator]], slowing down neutrons. As opposed to [[Pressurized water reactor|PWR]], there is no separation between the [[reactor pressure vessel]] (RPV) and the [[steam turbine]] in BWR. Water is allowed to vaporize directly inside of the reactor core (at a pressure of approximately 70 [[Bar (unit)|bars]]) before being directed to the turbine which drives the [[electric generator]]. Immediately after the turbine, a heat exchanger called a condenser brings the outgoing fluid back into liquid form before it is sent back into the reactor. The cold side of the condenser is made up of the plant's secondary coolant cycle which is fed by the power plant's cold source (generally the sea or a river, more rarely air). The BWR was developed by the [[Argonne National Laboratory]] and [[General Electric]] (GE) in the mid-1950s. The main present manufacturer is [[GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy]], which specializes in the design and construction of this type of reactor.
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