Abstract:
There have been a considerable number of nuclear reactor concepts proposed over the thirty
years of applied nuclear power. A selected number of these have been developed to the extent
that one or more plants have been built. Today, only three of these concepts are considered
commercially viable. Two of these concepts are based on the use of uranium enriched in the
isotope U-235 with light (or ordinary) water employed for cooling and neutron moderation. Of
these two concepts, one is the pressurized water reactor or PWR developed by Westinghouse.
The other is the boiling water reactor or BWR developed by General Electric. The third concept
is based on the use of natural uranium with heavy-water (water enriched in the deuterium
isotope) for cooling and moderation. This reactor concept has been principally developed and
applied by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.
