Physics A-Level
Coolant
What Coolant means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Coolant
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Reference: AQA
A substance that transfers thermal energy efficiently from the core to a heat exchanger, remains stable at high temperature and ideally has low neutron absorption.
Often water, carbon dioxide or liquid sodium, transfers thermal energy from the core to a heat exchanger to generate steam, and may also moderate.
Topics that use Coolant
- Induced fission (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Balance of neutron production and absorption
- Chain reactions
- Control rods
- Induced fission
- Moderator
- Neutron absorption cross-section
- Neutron moderation and chain reactions
- Relationship between nuclear mass and energy transfer
Using Coolant in the exam
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