Thanks for the comments.
By chance I can across some information on vertical retorts within a scanned copy of an early publication. And although the scanned text describes the general process of distilling coal within the vertical retort, it doesn't go into quite enough detail, unfortunately...
Thanks for the comments.
I do not have access to any "engineers" who may answer these questions, otherwise I would have done so already and probably would not have started this topic.
I've looked on the internet (including Wikipedia and other sites) but have yet to find the information I'm...
This is regarding vertical retorts, specifically those used in "distillation" of coal to produce coal (town) gas, tar and other by products.
It is understood that the distillation of coal is done by heating coal in an air (oxygen) free container (ie in a retort).
The vertical retort is...
Noted, thank you.
However, there are further questions.
What criteria determines whether an atom is fissionable? I would have thought that any atom was capable of fission if the right conditions were present?
When an atom "absorbs" neutrons (instead of being split, per fission reaction), this...
I'm fairly new to nuclear engineering.
Basically two questions regarding nuclear fission.
1) Neutrons hit atomic nuclei of fuel in reactor which in turn causes atoms to decay until a stable atomic isotope is ultimately reached. However, surely the "stable" isotopes (and also those unstable...