Current Events > Chernobyl's nuclear fuel is smoldering again, 'possibility' of another accident

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://news.yahoo.com/news/chernobyls-nuclear-fuel-smoldering-again-154006468.html
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Oh boy

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Didn't see this coming on my 2021 bingo board

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I blame it on Trump

Alright, Yahoo is complete trash. So here's some info for starters:

This would not be an explosion. They used the word "explosion" a lot. This is physically impossible. It would be a criticality accident--Essentially, much of the remaining fissible material would rapidly react with itself and produce tons of heat and radiation. The "explosion" at Chernobyl was not a nuclear explosion, as none of the material used in traditional reactors is refined enough to cause a nuclear explosion. It was a steam explosion from the coolant/turbine water.

Next, there is almost no risk to anyone at all. If a criticality accident occurs, no one will be near it. The event will superheat the air around it and melt the surface beneath it some. It will release a large amount of radiation into the air around; some of it will be contained by the shelter, and some will be dispersed into the surrounding environment. Given the decades that have passed and the half-life of the remaining fissible material, it would be a fraction of the radiation released in total from the original event and a large majority won't even reach beyond the Chernobyl site itself, let alone outside of Exclusion Zone, thanks to the safety pre-cautions.

If a criticality accident occurred, I would be shocked if studies would even link potential deaths to it in the follow decades as long as safety precautions are taken. Environmental impacts would be fairly limited as well--Not as low as some criticality accidents from test reactors and such, but in a grand scheme of things it wouldn't, I think, impact the ecological recovery of the Exclusion Zone too much.

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it's completely deserted for like a 30 mile radius, so big deal

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Pogo_Marimo posted...

Alright, Yahoo is complete trash. So here's some info for starters:

This would not be an explosion. They used the word "explosion" a lot. This is physically impossible. It would be a criticality accident--Essentially, much of the remaining fissible material would rapidly react with itself and produce tons of heat and radiation. The "explosion" at Chernobyl was not a nuclear explosion, as none of the material used in traditional reactors is refined enough to cause a nuclear explosion. It was a steam explosion from the coolant/turbine water.

Next, there is almost no risk to anyone at all. If a criticality accident occurs, no one will be near it. The event will superheat the air around it and melt the surface beneath it some. It will release a large amount of radiation into the air around; some of it will be contained by the shelter, and some will be dispersed into the surrounding environment. Given the decades that have passed and the half-life of the remaining fissible material, it would be a fraction of the radiation released in total from the original event and a large majority won't even reach beyond the Chernobyl site itself, let alone outside of Exclusion Zone, thanks to the safety pre-cautions.

If a criticality accident occurred, I would be shocked if studies would even link potential deaths to it in the follow decades as long as safety precautions are taken. Environmental impacts would be fairly limited as well--Not as low as some criticality accidents from test reactors and such, but in a grand scheme of things it wouldn't, I think, impact the ecological recovery of the Exclusion Zone too much.

1000000000%%%% omgggg yasssssssss

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Just to note, of course, if there WAS people nearby when it went critical it would indeed be very bad for those people. A couple dozen people have died, I think, from criticality accidents through history, and more injured. They have never had the same impact however as a full reactor meltdown as the means of dispersion of radiation and, typically, the amount of radiation actually produced are much different. This would be a very unique event if it were to happen as far as these events go, but it's also entirely preventable and almost certainly won't happen.

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Damn, it's kinda terrifying how dangerous it still is after all these years

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Pogo_Marimo posted...

If a criticality accident occurs, no one will be near it. The event will superheat the air around it and melt the surface beneath it some.

i want it to happen. now that there's no one around.
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Here's a couple short documentaries on some criticality accidents and the Elephant's Foot (For people interested in giant slabs of radioactive death melting through floors).

https://youtu.be/uJ8cYheR5xo

https://youtu.be/aFlromB6SnU

https://youtu.be/hIWu8rbWLGo

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stalker will become a reality

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Pogo_Marimo posted...

Alright, Yahoo is complete trash. So here's some info for starters:

This would not be an explosion. They used the word "explosion" a lot. This is physically impossible. It would be a criticality accident--Essentially, much of the remaining fissible material would rapidly react with itself and produce tons of heat and radiation. The "explosion" at Chernobyl was not a nuclear explosion, as none of the material used in traditional reactors is refined enough to cause a nuclear explosion. It was a steam explosion from the coolant/turbine water.

Next, there is almost no risk to anyone at all. If a criticality accident occurs, no one will be near it. The event will superheat the air around it and melt the surface beneath it some. It will release a large amount of radiation into the air around; some of it will be contained by the shelter, and some will be dispersed into the surrounding environment. Given the decades that have passed and the half-life of the remaining fissible material, it would be a fraction of the radiation released in total from the original event and a large majority won't even reach beyond the Chernobyl site itself, let alone outside of Exclusion Zone, thanks to the safety pre-cautions.

If a criticality accident occurred, I would be shocked if studies would even link potential deaths to it in the follow decades as long as safety precautions are taken. Environmental impacts would be fairly limited as well--Not as low as some criticality accidents from test reactors and such, but in a grand scheme of things it wouldn't, I think, impact the ecological recovery of the Exclusion Zone too much.

so no mutant people or animals? Aw...
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Slayer_22 posted...

so no mutant people or animals? Aw...

Well, maybe some more cancer animals in the area. Cancer is essentially just mutated cells run amok, so uh... Well, no.

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Pogo_Marimo posted...

Well, maybe some more cancer animals in the area. Cancer is essentially just mutated cells run amok, so uh... Well, no.

When do we get mutants? :(((((((((((((((
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3,000,000 to 4,000,000 feral mutant hogs

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Pogo_Marimo posted...

Alright, Yahoo is complete trash. So here's some info for starters:

This would not be an explosion. They used the word "explosion" a lot. This is physically impossible. It would be a criticality accident--Essentially, much of the remaining fissible material would rapidly react with itself and produce tons of heat and radiation. The "explosion" at Chernobyl was not a nuclear explosion, as none of the material used in traditional reactors is refined enough to cause a nuclear explosion. It was a steam explosion from the coolant/turbine water.

Next, there is almost no risk to anyone at all. If a criticality accident occurs, no one will be near it. The event will superheat the air around it and melt the surface beneath it some. It will release a large amount of radiation into the air around; some of it will be contained by the shelter, and some will be dispersed into the surrounding environment. Given the decades that have passed and the half-life of the remaining fissible material, it would be a fraction of the radiation released in total from the original event and a large majority won't even reach beyond the Chernobyl site itself, let alone outside of Exclusion Zone, thanks to the safety pre-cautions.

If a criticality accident occurred, I would be shocked if studies would even link potential deaths to it in the follow decades as long as safety precautions are taken. Environmental impacts would be fairly limited as well--Not as low as some criticality accidents from test reactors and such, but in a grand scheme of things it wouldn't, I think, impact the ecological recovery of the Exclusion Zone too much.

That mini series was badass right?

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At least now we might get another season of the mini series

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Slayer_22 posted...

so no mutant people or animals? Aw...

the closest to that is being near a criticality accident and having everything inside you liquify into sludge over the course of a couple days

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butthole666 posted...

the closest to that is being near a criticality accident and having everything inside you liquify into sludge over the course of a couple days

So goo monsters or the blob? Excellent.
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viewmaster_pi posted...

stalker will become a reality

the book, the movie, or the games?

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Pogo_Marimo posted...

Alright, Yahoo is complete trash. So here's some info for starters:

This would not be an explosion. They used the word "explosion" a lot. This is physically impossible. It would be a criticality accident--Essentially, much of the remaining fissible material would rapidly react with itself and produce tons of heat and radiation. The "explosion" at Chernobyl was not a nuclear explosion, as none of the material used in traditional reactors is refined enough to cause a nuclear explosion. It was a steam explosion from the coolant/turbine water.

Next, there is almost no risk to anyone at all. If a criticality accident occurs, no one will be near it. The event will superheat the air around it and melt the surface beneath it some. It will release a large amount of radiation into the air around; some of it will be contained by the shelter, and some will be dispersed into the surrounding environment. Given the decades that have passed and the half-life of the remaining fissible material, it would be a fraction of the radiation released in total from the original event and a large majority won't even reach beyond the Chernobyl site itself, let alone outside of Exclusion Zone, thanks to the safety pre-cautions.

If a criticality accident occurred, I would be shocked if studies would even link potential deaths to it in the follow decades as long as safety precautions are taken. Environmental impacts would be fairly limited as well--Not as low as some criticality accidents from test reactors and such, but in a grand scheme of things it wouldn't, I think, impact the ecological recovery of the Exclusion Zone too much.

This is an interesting post, thank you.


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apolloooo posted...

the book, the movie, or the games?

that's right

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