Breeding in nuclear reactors A reactor that converts fertile material into fissile isotopes is properly called a breeder reactor, not a “regenerative” reactor. Is the statement using the term regenerative reactor correct?

Introduction / Context:
Terminology matters in nuclear engineering. Reactors designed to create more fissile material than they consume perform a process known as breeding, and the accepted term is breeder reactor.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Fertile nuclides such as U-238 or Th-232 can capture neutrons to form fissile nuclides (Pu-239 or U-233).
• Design objective is net production of fissile material (breeding ratio ≥ 1).
• Term “regeneration” is not the standard for this concept in reactor physics.

Concept / Approach:

Breeder reactors place fertile material in regions with adequate neutron flux so that neutron capture and subsequent decays produce fissile isotopes. The word “regenerative” is occasionally used loosely in other engineering fields but is not the precise nuclear term here.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Standard reactor engineering texts and glossaries consistently use “breeder” for such designs (e.g., fast breeder reactors and thorium-based thermal breeder concepts).

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Limiting correctness to thermal or fast types misses the terminology issue; the naming is independent of spectrum.

Common Pitfalls:

Confusing breeder (produces fissile material) with regenerative feed heating in power plants—completely different concepts.

Final Answer:

No