Did world war 3 just start?

[T.Lex]

Side note: In the movies, everyone runs around screaming because the reactor is "going critical".

In real life... not so much. Critical merely means that it is a "self sustaining reaction". Every fission produces multiple neutrons, one of which will go on to produce another fission.
This is where the reactor makes power. They ALL go critical. Otherwise, they wouldn't make power.

Hey Act - have you heard about the HBO miniseries about Chernobyl? Different kind of nuke, obviously, but I caught a couple of the episodes and it looks like it was a very interesting portrayal of both what happened and how the Soviet system created both the problem and a failure of solutions.

As a Cold War warrior with nuke background, you might like it.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Hey Act - have you heard about the HBO miniseries about Chernobyl? Different kind of nuke, obviously, but I caught a couple of the episodes and it looks like it was a very interesting portrayal of both what happened and how the Soviet system created both the problem and a failure of solutions.

As a Cold War warrior with nuke background, you might like it.

That show is awesome. It's funny and unsettling how the bureaucrats are trying to convince the scientists that absolutely nothing is wrong, and it wanders into full face palm territory when the scientist ignore science and essentially sign their own death certificates hoping that everything is ok.

 

[actaeon277]

I've seen some outtakes on YouTube.

Yes, it was an extreme case of Cover Your Ass.
Not realizing, that was making the situation worse.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

On that note, I bought a dosimeter.

Pretty neat.

 

[actaeon277]

As a Reactor Operator, I always had to have an idea of where the Reactor "was" in respect to "Decay Daughters", and "Poisons".
They started the problem by ignoring those Decay Daughters, then add in control rods with graphite, then the positive temperature coefficient... well, we all know what happens then.


[video=youtube;q3d3rzFTrLg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3d3rzFTrLg[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

If you want to skip the boring Decay Daughter talk, skip to 16 minutes.

 

[actaeon277]

Ironically, the emergency shutdown is the final nail that killed it.

 

[T.Lex]

well, we all know what happens then.

Well, NOW we all know.

Before Chernobyl, I didn't know.

 

[actaeon277]

My nuke school class started 2 months after Chernoybl.

 

[actaeon277]

[video=youtube;xulAgMNK5Jk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xulAgMNK5Jk[/video]

 

[T.Lex]

My nuke school class started 2 months after Chernoybl.

Wow. Crazy timing.

You and your instructors probably either knew or could figure out more than what the Sovs were saying.

 

[actaeon277]

The shielding may not be enough.

Then I'll go myself.
HERO.


[video=youtube;yPRMx2k1NM8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPRMx2k1NM8[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

Wow. Crazy timing.

You and your instructors probably either knew or could figure out more than what the Sovs were saying.

We didn't have much info on their type of reactor, other than it was a BWR (Boiling Water Reactor).
We were spending 100 percent of our time learning about Naval Nuclear Reactors.

 

[NKBJ]

Had a south Louisiana fellow for radiation training...

"Now what you gotta rememba is that radiation is like Jack Daniels. A little bit won't hurt you. A little bit every day won't hurt you. But too much at one time and you gonna be hurtin'."

 

[ghuns]

Had a south Louisiana fellow for radiation training...

"Now what you gotta rememba is that radiation is like Jack Daniels. A little bit won't hurt you. A little bit every day won't hurt you. But too much at one time and you gonna be hurtin'."

Finally. I can now say I completely understand radiation.

 

[Brad69]

US vs Russian reactors made simple!

Chernobyl: RBMK vs LWR

 

[actaeon277]

In case the explanation video was a bit "dry" and over complicated. .

1) The reactor was at high power a bit before the test, then they took the power too low.
At high power, a large amount of xenon (and other decay daughters) are produced.
The reactor produces xenon for hours after going to low power.
The reactor burns up the xenon, but when it went to low power, it burned the xenon up at the low power rate. There is no delay on burning out. It's instantaneous dependent on power.
So the levels of xenon soar higher.

2) They took power too low for the test. So they wanted to bring the level up.
But the previously mentioned xenon, is a "poison" for neutrons. It absorbs them, without fissioning.
So they had to raise the control rods VERY high, to get enough fissions, to raise power.

3) The reactor starts burning xenon at the higher rate. Less xenon, therefore neutron population climbs.

4) due to the lower power levels, the boiling water is occurring lower in the channels than usual.

5) many reactors have a "negative temperature coefficient". They self regulate. Too much power makes moderator temperature (water) go up. Which makes less neutrons available to fission. Which brings reactor power back down.
Chernobyl didn't. It had a positive temperature coefficient. So it didn't self regulate.

6) Now the fun begins. Reactor power begins to soar. It doesn't self regulate, instead it soars. The decision is made to scram the reactor. There are multiple protective options, scram is an immediate push on all rods.

7) The reactor is BIG. And the rods are mechanical. It takes time for the insertiin. Reactor power on the other hand changes quickly, especially with the positive coefficient.

8) The rods have graphite tips, to help the reactor during these xenon swings. But now, as the rods go in, the graphite further spikes reactor power.

9) water flashes to steam, further spiking power, and cooling it less, spiking.

10) multiple events spiking power all happening together, and then the steam blows the big heavy reactor cover into the air. Graphite is pulverized into the reactor. No cooling water. Oxygen is sucked it.
Causing the reactor to actually burn.


RESULTS.
1) The 3,000 Megawatt reactor is estimated to have gone to 33,000 megawatts. Within secnds.
2) The explosion put radioactive debris into the atmo.
3) The subsequent uranium fire further contributed to the debris placed into the atmo.
4) The disabling of protective features, and disregarding the test procedures initiated the explosion, causing a widespread environmental disaster.
5) CYA (Cover Your Ass) by managers and a scientist or two further added to the problem, multiplying the disaster.

They lied to themselves as to the damage.
Then they lied to themselves that they could keep a lid on it.
Sensors across the globe registered the radioactivity.

 

[Leadeye]

There is an excellent book about this, Ablaze, by Piers Paul Read. Covers things pretty much from "The Beard" to the sarcophagus and beyond.

General Pikalov looks like his description in the book, one tough SOB.

 

[wmbraswell2]

Too many options these days no world war will ever just start. Which is good but unfortunately people let others do anything. My favorite line people forget the feeling of being hit in the face. It causes loose lips.

 

[ghuns]

...General Pikalov looks like... one tough SOB.

During World War II, he was wounded several times and took part in the battles of Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk.

That'll do it.