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What is considered the worst case scenerio of a nuclear reactor?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
One worst case scenario would be a meltdown in which an explosion puts the entire contents of the reactor into the atmosphere. As bad as the Chernobyl disaster was, only a part of the material in the reactor got into the atmosphere. This was in large part because several people went into a water pool below the reactor to drain it, knowing the job would quickly kill them. If the molten metals in the reactor had got into the water, the steam explosion would have sent a large part of it into the air.
We know there were agricultural losses as far away (and upwind) as Scotland, and complete losses of herds in Finland, many hundreds of miles from the plant. We know that thousands of square miles of land were rendered unfit for use for years, and many square miles almost permanently. Estimates for the economic loss from Chernobyl run as high as a trillion 1995 dollars. Twenty years after the event, Belarus was still putting 20% of its money into cleanup. Clearly, a worse disaster would be very bad. An equivalent failure in the US would cost a multiple of the amount of money.
The spent fuel pools of US reactors are considered a weak part of plant design and cause considerable anxiety over security. Of the 103 plants currently operating, only six have spent fuel pools hardened against impact of a six ton aircraft, and only one is hardened against impact of a large commercial airliner. The US has not decided how to deal with nuclear waste, and, as a result, most of the waste is in spent fuel pools. Impact of a large commercial airliner into one of these structures might cause a "worst case scenario" of scale similar to Chernobyl. This is an object of widespread discussion in public forums on nuclear energy, such as town meetings currently happening in Vermont over whether the Vermont Yankee plant should have its license renewed. There have been rumors that the 9-11 terrorists considered hitting such a plant, but decided against it because it would cause to much harm to their cause.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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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.
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 if a nuclear reactor exploded?
If a nuclear reactor explodes, there can be radiation leakage in the atmosphere which could be dangerous for people. The Fall-out would not only damage the country that it is in but the whole world. The worst part is not the explosion but the Fall-out that comes after. This is really bad because The Radiative Fall-out never Goes away
What is the worst thing about nuclear energy?
The worst thing about nuclear energy is that it can kill people.
When year and where did the wrost nuclear accident occura nuclear meltdown?
NRX was a heavy water moderated, light water cooled, nuclear research reactor at the Canadian Chalk River Laboratories, which experienced one of the world's first major reactor accidents on 12 December 1952. The reactor began operation on 22 July 1947 under the National Research Council of Canada, and was taken over by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) shortly before the 1952 accident. The accident was cleaned up and the reactor restarted within two years. NRX operated for 45 years, being shut down permanently on 8 April 1993[3]. It is currently undergoing decommissioning at the Chalk River Laboratories site.
What was the worst reactor accident in history?
the reactor accident at the chernobyl nuclear power plant.
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.
Is potassium used as nuclear reactor coolant?
No. Potassium is probably one of the worst things to have anywhere near a reactor for the purposes of cooling.
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.
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 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'.
How high was Chernobyl on the nuclear scale?
Worst reactor accident to that date. The Japanese 2011 accident may turn out to be worse however.
What if a nuclear reactor exploded?
If a nuclear reactor explodes, there can be radiation leakage in the atmosphere which could be dangerous for people. The Fall-out would not only damage the country that it is in but the whole world. The worst part is not the explosion but the Fall-out that comes after. This is really bad because The Radiative Fall-out never Goes away
What was the chenobyl disaster?
The Chenobyl Disaster was a nuclear accident that occured on 26 April 1986 in Ukraine, when a nuclear reactor exploded and gave hundreds or thousands of people radiation poisioning. It killed a number of people, too. The nearby city of Pripyat had to be evacuated entirely, though some people who wanted to stay did so illegally. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history.
Why wsd three mile island important?
Three mile island was the site of the worst nuclear 'accident' in america's history. The reactor went into meltdown - releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere.
What are the causes of nuclear disaters?
A nuclear disaster would be the melt down of a nuclear power plant, possibly resulting in an explosion. A melt down is exactly what it sounds like it means, when a critical component of the reactor literaly melts, buckles or bends from the strain and heat, and fires are usually started as a result. This can cause other structural failures, which can ultimately lead to either complete structural failure or, in a worst case scenario, if the safety backups fail to trigger, the loss of control of the reactor, which may lead to the reactor exploding.
What is the worst thing about nuclear energy?
The worst thing about nuclear energy is that it can kill people.
