Conversion rate

As conversion rate is referred to in nuclear technology, the ratio of costs incurred in a nuclear reactor new fissile nuclei at the same time consumed by cleavage nuclei. Another, less common in the specialized literature designation is conversion ratio.

In light water reactors conversion rates to about 0.7 achieved. Breeder reactors are designed to reproduce to achieve conversion rates higher than 1.0, ie to produce more fuel than they consume. For them, the conversion rate mostly as a breeding rate ( rare breeding ratio) is called.

Nuclear fusion reactors are in commercial operation also must itself produce a part of their fuel, tritium from lithium. Again, referred breeding rate, the ratio of newly generated spent the tritium nuclei.

• Reactor Technology