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BWR

BWR

1 8.1
A nuclear reactor where water boils in the core to make steam that turns a turbine
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : reactor de agua en ebullición
  • The BWR reactor has become a popular choice in the nuclear industry because of its unique steam generation process.
  • BWR and PWR

Examples

  • These successes were vital for making commercial BWR power plants a large-scale reality.

    Academic text (2007)
  • So there are some advantages to the BWR in terms of severe accidents.

    Blog text (20)
  • While the BWR had some obvious advantages, it also had some serious concerns related to nuclear and flow stability.

    Academic text (2007)
  • But this GE BWR, designed 50 years ago, is not passively safe; it requires active cooling.

    Blog text (20)
  • The differences in design between these BWR reactors and the Soviet-era RBMKs are massive.

    Blog text (20)
  • There hasn't been a meltdown (partial or otherwise) at a BWR to study.

    Blog text (20)
  • Newer BWR designs include more robust "station-blackout" capable (passive) shutdown cooling systems.

    Blog text (20)
  • The BWR uses water as both a coolant and moderator to generate steam that drives a turbine.

  • Many modern power plants utilize the BWR design for its efficiency and safety features.

Synonyms

boiling water reactor
vsBWR
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A machine in a nuclear power plant that boils water to make steam to turn a turbine

is the abbreviated name for the same reactor type

Surface Forms

BWR singular
BWRs plural

Morphology

BWR = B + W + R

The headword is an initialism (letters B, W, R) whose letters do not convey the meaning unless the expansion 'Boiling Water Reactor' is known, so the meaning is not derivable from the component letters.

Etymology

The word BWR is short for boiling water reactor, and a helpful way to remember it is to think of a large kettle: the water inside the reactor 'boils' to make steam that turns a turbine, so the name tells you how this kind of reactor makes power.