DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - chernobyl: steam explosion or self contained nuclear explosion?

**arriplify** · 04-13-2010, 04:15 AM

at no time did i say it underwent a thermonuclear reaction - as a thermonuclear reaction is a fusion reaction , not an atomic reaction - the hiroshima bomb was an atomic or fission bomb , they split the atom like all nuclear reactors , a thermonuclear reaction is the fusing of duetirium and tritium , look at the JET project at culham,

the entire problem with the reactor in the is something uique - positive scram.

when the reactor is scrammed , because of the graphite tip on the control rods , you actually get an energy increase in the neutrons ,(as the graphire displaces the cooling water (also acting a moderator)) now coupled with the positive void coeffieicent , the large amount of steam and the presence of large amounts of high energy neutrons anyway - you have the recipe for something going very wrong - the positive scram effects the lowest part of the reactor first , as the thermocouples showed , the reaction climbed massively there first.

as i said above U238 is fertile rather than fissile - until they get a large of amount of high energy neutrons - so now we have U235/U238 and P239 in a high energy enviroment thats under high pressure.

which is why i believe the lowest part of the core did go `bang`.

criticality - is an accidently power excursion , or in the case of a nuclear reactor you can have a massive supercritical event which can lead to a runawy core;

enriched uranium - as said above , enrichement reduces the amount (mass) needed for critical mass , and comes in several `flavours`

SEU or slightly enriched uranium , which can be found naturally , is where the U235 content is above the `norma` of 0.7% but below 2% - this is for CANDU type heavy water reacotrs and better for waste managemnt

low enriched uranium - under 20% U235 , typically the LPWR or light pressurised water ractors use 5% U235 as fuel , higher concentrations are usually for research reactors converting for high enriched to low enriched.

and the `bombs` - HEU or highly enriched uranium , this is for U235 concentrations above 20% - and although useable as a weapon , it isnt weapons grade - that is for the highest enrichment - 85% or above.

BUT

stack enough uranium of any type into a big pile and it will go critical

http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/p...tokaimura.html

600kg of 15% will go critical on its own , and i think if im right that it takes 300 tons of natural uranium to do the same.

04-13-2010, 04:15 AM	#33
arriplify Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 383 Senior Member	at no time did i say it underwent a thermonuclear reaction - as a thermonuclear reaction is a fusion reaction , not an atomic reaction - the hiroshima bomb was an atomic or fission bomb , they split the atom like all nuclear reactors , a thermonuclear reaction is the fusing of duetirium and tritium , look at the JET project at culham, the entire problem with the reactor in the is something uique - positive scram. when the reactor is scrammed , because of the graphite tip on the control rods , you actually get an energy increase in the neutrons ,(as the graphire displaces the cooling water (also acting a moderator)) now coupled with the positive void coeffieicent , the large amount of steam and the presence of large amounts of high energy neutrons anyway - you have the recipe for something going very wrong - the positive scram effects the lowest part of the reactor first , as the thermocouples showed , the reaction climbed massively there first. as i said above U238 is fertile rather than fissile - until they get a large of amount of high energy neutrons - so now we have U235/U238 and P239 in a high energy enviroment thats under high pressure. which is why i believe the lowest part of the core did go `bang`. criticality - is an accidently power excursion , or in the case of a nuclear reactor you can have a massive supercritical event which can lead to a runawy core; enriched uranium - as said above , enrichement reduces the amount (mass) needed for critical mass , and comes in several `flavours` SEU or slightly enriched uranium , which can be found naturally , is where the U235 content is above the `norma` of 0.7% but below 2% - this is for CANDU type heavy water reacotrs and better for waste managemnt low enriched uranium - under 20% U235 , typically the LPWR or light pressurised water ractors use 5% U235 as fuel , higher concentrations are usually for research reactors converting for high enriched to low enriched. and the `bombs` - HEU or highly enriched uranium , this is for U235 concentrations above 20% - and although useable as a weapon , it isnt weapons grade - that is for the highest enrichment - 85% or above. BUT stack enough uranium of any type into a big pile and it will go critical http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/p...tokaimura.html 600kg of 15% will go critical on its own , and i think if im right that it takes 300 tons of natural uranium to do the same.
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