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This was a steam/water leak in a steam generator, probably brought on by inadequate chemistry control in the secondary water side. Faced with the prospect of the cost of replacing the steam generators, the owners decided to shut the plant permanently, and it has been partly decommissioned with all the fuel removed.

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Q: What happened at the Zion Illinois nuclear reactor unit 1 accident in 1997?
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What do you mean by nuclear accidents and can you explain two basic types of nuclear weapons?

A nuclear accident is the unintended release of nuclear radiation into the environment, such as damage to a nuclear reactor or to a nuclear weapon (plane crash carrying nuclear bombs, etc). The two basic forms of nuclear weapons are fission and fusion weapons.


Can you make a real ark reactor?

An Ark reactor as currently describe in comic is very much like a Nuclear Fuel Cell. Possibly convert energy from Nuclear reaction to power. Possibly a plasma nuclear fusion reactor. I believe in the future it could be made. See the link and compare the similarity of fusion reactor and Ark reactor.


What is a bare reactor?

It is a nuclear reactor without reflector, consisting only from fuel and moderator.


How does water cool down nuclear atoms from exploding?

Water is used in nuclear REACTORS both as the heat energy carrier and as a coolant to prevent overheating. Proper cooling is required or the reactor will overheat, causing a meltdown. This is not the same as a nuclear explosion since all that will happen is the extreme heat will melt or destroy the reactor or its containment, but due to the design of reactors it is impossible to have a nuclear explosion similar to nuclear weaponry in a reactor. A notable reactor meltdown was Chernobyl where the nuclear reaction was allowed to generate too much excess heat and the heat caused melting of reactor components and eventually a steam explosion (water vapour explosion) due to overheating. The main concern for a reactor meltdown is not the immediate destruction of everything in a certain radius but the spraying of highly radioactive materials found only in a reactor over a large radius since this radioactive waste cannot be cleaned effectively and will render the surroundings uninhabitable for decades.


Did chernobyl explode like a bomb?

It did explode, but this was due to a surge in steam pressure which blew off the top of the reactor, it was not a nuclear explosion as in a nuclear weapon.

Related questions

What was the worst reactor accident in history?

the reactor accident at the chernobyl nuclear power plant.


Did people melt in the chernobyl?

No, nothing happened like melting of people in Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident.


How a nuclear accident occur?

There are many ways a nuclear accident may occur, however most nuclear power plant accident occur due to problem in an reactor.


What is melt down?

Meltdown is a term that describes the melting of a nuclear-reactor core as a result of a nuclear accident


What is a melt down?

Meltdown is a term that describes the melting of a nuclear-reactor core as a result of a nuclear accident


What event caused many Americans to woory about nuclear power?

what event caused many Americans to worry about nuclear power


What is a nuclear accident that does not pose a threat of nuclear war called?

The term "Broken Arrow" is used to indicate a nuclear accident involving a nuclear weapon that does't pose the threat indicated. The term "excursion" (as in nuclear excursion) or "criticality accident" is applied to a nuclear reactor or nuclear material accident, respectively.


Which nuclear facility was the site of the worst nuclear accident?

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant underwent a level 7 event - the worst accident so far. The plant, located in the Soviet Union near Pripyat in Ukraine lost its number four reactor on 26 April 1986. A link to the Wikipedia article on the accident is provided.


What is Reactor number four?

The #4 reactor is the reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Pripyat, Ukraine) that exploded on April 26, 1986. It is still the worst nuclear accident to ever take place anywhere.


What is a nuclear reactor accident called?

The answer your probably looking for is 'melt down' however a melt down is a very rare event and the worst form of 'nuclear accident'.


What is a nuclear reactor meltdown?

A nuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. A meltdown occurs when the heat generated by a nuclear reactor exceeds the heat removed by the cooling systems to the point which at least one nuclear fuel plate exceeds its melting point.


What are the accidents during the nuclear reactor?

Thankfully there haven't been many nuclear accidents, however when they do happen they can be severe the worst nuclear accident/disaster was the explosion of reactor No.4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant in 1986 on April the 26th.