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What is the term used to describe a nuclear reactor when it over heats and the core melts?
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Can a nuclear reactor explode as a nuclear bomb?
Highly unlikely if not altogether impossible. In a core meltdown, you might see a steam explosion if the core melts and breaches the containment structure and hits say cooling water. But even a runaway chain reaction in a reactor would not cause a nuclear explosion like a bomb.
What are Meltdowns?
The coolant in a nuclear reactor literally melts, and the reaction goes out of control. The entire plant can melt, and radiation leaks throughout the world. See Chernobyl for details.
What is the blast radius if the Fukushima power plant explodes?
Nuclear plants don't blow up like atomic bombs do because they do not reach 'critical mass' levels where an uncontrolled chain reaction occurs. They DO however get so hot the fuel rods holding the radioactive pellets melt -- that's why they are water cooled. No coolant = no heat control the reactor heats to 1000 degrees and melts into a pool of radioactive sludge that settles into the bottom of the containment vessel. At that point you can have hydrogen gas buildup and explosions but they are chemical not nuclear. They will be using robotic cleaners for a long time at Fukusima.
What is a meltdown at a nuclear power plant?
A partial meltdown is a term for a type of severe nuclear reactor accident. In this situation, the cooling and safety systems of a reactor have failed to the point where the core overheats severely. In this instance, the nuclear fuel, which is welded inside tubes or plates, becomes so hot that it melts its way through the metal (called cladding) encasing it. This contaminates the whole reactor with highly radioactive material. A partial meltdown is generally contaned within the reactor vessel or the containment structure. But the reactor and associated cooling systems will end up highly contaminated with radioactive materials and be unusable.
In a nuclear reactor meltdown what melts?
The short answer is that at least the fuel melts, but if it can melt anything else, it does, including concrete. There are different types of meltdowns. At Three Mile Island, the meltdown happened when hot steam reacted with the zirconium cladding of reactor rods. This allowed uranium fuel pellets to come into contact and melt together. Upwards of half of the fuel in the reactor melted. A worse case is if the reactor itself melts, so the nuclear fuel can go through it. In Chernobyl, the reactor was opened by a series of explosions caused by steam and chemical reactions. Molten fuel escaped the reactor, and there was a threat that when it melted through the concrete floor the reactor stood on, it would fall into a water containment below. If this had happened it almost certainly would have caused another explosion and a much worse disaster. Fortunately for all of us who are alive, a number of people went into the area of the disaster, knowing they would be killed as a result, to get the water out of the containment under the reactor. The molten fuel combined with other materials, and was diluted in the process, finally solidifying in the area under the reactor. As a matter of interest, other people also worked to contain the radioactive material, knowing the work would kill them. Some of these people lived as long as six weeks in the hospital, and some hospital workers came down with radiation poisoning as a result of this exposure. The disaster workers who died were buried in graves over 300 feet deep to isolate the radiation in their bodies.
Can a nuclear reactor explode as a nuclear bomb?
Highly unlikely if not altogether impossible. In a core meltdown, you might see a steam explosion if the core melts and breaches the containment structure and hits say cooling water. But even a runaway chain reaction in a reactor would not cause a nuclear explosion like a bomb.
What does the term melt down refer to during a nuclear disaster?
The term melt down is a fairly literal description of what can happen when the cooling systems of a nuclear reactor fail; the reactor core becomes so hot that the whole thing literally melts into a puddle of radioactive slag.
What does the term melt down refers during a nuclear disaster?
The term melt down is a fairly literal description of what can happen when the cooling systems of a nuclear reactor fail; the reactor core becomes so hot that the whole thing literally melts into a puddle of radioactive slag.
What changes when ice cubes melts?
a ice cube melts when it heats up
What are Meltdowns?
The coolant in a nuclear reactor literally melts, and the reaction goes out of control. The entire plant can melt, and radiation leaks throughout the world. See Chernobyl for details.
What going to happen if the nuclear power plant melts down?
A meltdown is both good and bad:Good reactor design uses the meltdown to disassemble the fuel into a subcritical mass, causing the reactor to automatically shutdown.Bad reactor design can allow the fuel to enter places it should not go, possibly causing steam explosions, contamination outside the reactor containment, etc.
How did the earthquake in Japan affect the people in Canada?
A lot more Canadians than you think live in Japan and there are Canadian deaths and if the nuclear reactor melts down then the radiation may travel here.
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.
Why does butter melt?
Butter is a water-in-fat emulsion, when it heats up the fat melts.
What is the blast radius if the Fukushima power plant explodes?
Nuclear plants don't blow up like atomic bombs do because they do not reach 'critical mass' levels where an uncontrolled chain reaction occurs. They DO however get so hot the fuel rods holding the radioactive pellets melt -- that's why they are water cooled. No coolant = no heat control the reactor heats to 1000 degrees and melts into a pool of radioactive sludge that settles into the bottom of the containment vessel. At that point you can have hydrogen gas buildup and explosions but they are chemical not nuclear. They will be using robotic cleaners for a long time at Fukusima.
What is a meltdown at a nuclear power plant?
A partial meltdown is a term for a type of severe nuclear reactor accident. In this situation, the cooling and safety systems of a reactor have failed to the point where the core overheats severely. In this instance, the nuclear fuel, which is welded inside tubes or plates, becomes so hot that it melts its way through the metal (called cladding) encasing it. This contaminates the whole reactor with highly radioactive material. A partial meltdown is generally contaned within the reactor vessel or the containment structure. But the reactor and associated cooling systems will end up highly contaminated with radioactive materials and be unusable.
What does china syndrome mean to a nuclear reactor?
In the most severe reactor accident, the fuel will melt and, due to radioactive decay heat, will continue to be very hot. In fact, it will be hot enough to melt through the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel (several inches of steel), and possibly melt/burn through the concrete floor of the reactor building and get into the soil beneath the building. This is what is referred to as the China syndrome, the idea being that the molten mass of fuel is heading toward China on the other side of the earth as it melts through the vessel, concrete, and then soil and rock below the reactor building.
