![]() ![]() In various ways the accident contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union. ![]() This fire dispersed radioactive particles from damaged fuel into the upper atmosphere, contaminating widespread areas of Europe. The experiment resulted in the core becoming unstable and overheating, leading to a series of steam and other explosions, the destruction of part of the reactor structure, and the graphite core catching fire. The Chernobyl “safety test” has been described as akin to testing an airliner’s engines during a routine flight, something that should have been absolutely unthinkable. But the KGB deemed this could be a manual for saboteurs and classified it Top Secret, so the operators were never aware of the danger. The RBMK’s designers were well aware of this potential safety issue and prepared detailed instructions for reactor operators on how to avoid such an accident. This graphite/water combination presented an inherent safety problem, that under certain operating conditions the RBMK could be very unstable, resulting in a risk of overheating. In contrast, the RBMK uses graphite (a form of carbon) as the moderator and water as the coolant. The principal reactor type around the world, the light water reactor, uses water as both moderator (to slow down neutrons to enable an ongoing nuclear reaction) and coolant (to remove heat and produce steam for power generation). The Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) comprised four “RBMK” reactors, a design unique to the Soviet Union. Chernobyl contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and continues to impact on confidence in nuclear energy around the world. ![]() The costs to public health are extensively discussed, but the wider political consequences are also still felt. The recent mini-series on the Chernobyl nuclear accident is a reminder that after 33 years the consequences of the accident are still very much with us. ![]()
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