Nuclear reactions are smoldering again at Chernobyl

[mapuc]

Guess it will do so for hundreds if not thousands of year ahead, if they can't find a way to stop it.

Thirty-five years after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded in the world's worst nuclear accident, fission reactions are smoldering again in uranium fuel masses buried deep inside a mangled reactor hall. "It's like the embers in a barbecue pit," says Neil Hyatt, a nuclear materials chemist at the University of Sheffield. Now, Ukrainian scientists are scrambling to determine whether the reactions will wink out on their own—or require extraordinary interventions to avert another accident

https://www.science.org/news/2021/05/nuclear-reactions-reawaken-chernobyl-reactor

Markus

[Skybird]

Them Cherno-Zombies don't want to stay in the cold during winter, you see...:cool:

[mapuc]

Them Cherno-Zombies don't want to stay in the cold during winter, you see...:cool:

Not to forget glowing in the winter darkness so they can see each other

Markus

[3catcircus]

It's all based upon two things:

1. Critical mass/critical geometry resulting from any shifting of material causing a mass of fissile material to undergo fission again.

2. Decay heat from the fissile material's fission products. They'll continue to produce heat at about 7% of the total power levels immediately prior to the stopping of the fission process. Those fission products will continue to produce heat dependent upon their half-life. That heat needs to be cooled somehow - and that may involve doing things that could inadvertently result in additional fission reactions occurring.

[mapuc]

It's all based upon two things:

1. Critical mass/critical geometry resulting from any shifting of material causing a mass of fissile material to undergo fission again.

2. Decay heat from the fissile material's fission products. They'll continue to produce heat at about 7% of the total power levels immediately prior to the stopping of the fission process. Those fission products will continue to produce heat dependent upon their half-life. That heat needs to be cooled somehow - and that may involve doing things that could inadvertently result in additional fission reactions occurring.

Thank you
Could it end up with the China syndrome ?

Markus

[Skybird]

Thank you
Could it end up with the China syndrome ?

Markus
No, the Chinese have so far not shown any interest in the Ukraine, and the latter has not asked for participation in the Silkroad 2 project. :88)

[mapuc]

No, the Chinese have so far not shown any interest in the Ukraine, and the latter has not asked for participation in the Silkroad 2 project. :88)

:har::har:

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Them Cherno-Zombies don't want to stay in the cold during winter, you see...:cool:

The final season of The Walking Dead is due shortly :03:

[3catcircus]

Thank you
Could it end up with the China syndrome ?

Markus

Likely not. Any fission would likely be short-lived, resulting in the critical mass/geometry melting or shifting, becoming subcritical again.

You need to remember that the core has flowed all over the basement as molten corium, so any portions that could fission again are much further away from having enough mass in the right geometry.

[Buddahaid]

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/monsterspedia/images/7/77/Them_Image.jpg

[Catfish]

^ :haha:
No, the Chinese have so far not shown any interest in the Ukraine, and the latter has not asked for participation in the Silkroad 2 project. :88)
:D

Seriously: There is no solution of getting rid of "accidentally" set free 'corium'. B.t.w. "corium" lmao. Fine example of doublespeak. Same as in Fukushima where they release contaminated water into the ocean, and will have to do this for millenia to come.
The probem is inherent, and will not go away by wishful thinking. As long as no one can really contain the stuff i will radiate on for millenia.

[mapuc]

Likely not. Any fission would likely be short-lived, resulting in the critical mass/geometry melting or shifting, becoming subcritical again.

You need to remember that the core has flowed all over the basement as molten corium, so any portions that could fission again are much further away from having enough mass in the right geometry.

Of course it's not one big melted ball
Trying to recall what was said in the 70's movie China Syndrome.

Markus

[Jeff-Groves]

The final season of The Walking Dead is due shortly :03:
A bit of radiation never bothered me.
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=1069&pictureid=12049

[Eichhörnchen]

I can remember that morning so clearly: Moira and I had just been to look at the house we are now making plans to leave all these years later

We'd spent the night in the VW in a damp meadow next to the river and she was cooking up breakfast while I listened to the news about the explosion on the car radio

[Skybird]

and she was cooking up breakfast while I listened to the news about the explosion
Sounds as if this christmas a cooking book is on order...!?

[mapuc]

Sounds as if this christmas a cooking book is on order...!?

:har::har:

Markus

[Ostfriese]

Likely not. Any fission would likely be short-lived, resulting in the critical mass/geometry melting or shifting, becoming subcritical again.

You need to remember that the core has flowed all over the basement as molten corium, so any portions that could fission again are much further away from having enough mass in the right geometry.

I doubt that there's any chance to achieve critical mass due to shifts/melting and a self-sustained chain reaction as a consequence of this. It would require quite pure amounts of fissible material melting/shifting together, and after 35 years of decaying there shouldn't be much material that can be considered "pure" left - and that's before considering that the corium is a wild mixture of fuel rods, remains of the control rods, concrete, steel, zirconium, sand and soil, among other things.


The article mentions "irradiated uranium", which is pretty strange and suggests that the writer doesn't know enough about the topic. Uranium is always radioactive, it doesn't have any stable isotopes, and it cannot be irradiated.



There could be a variety of reasons for the increased neutron count, starting with recently opened leaks/cracks, which would allow water or steam to pass through and carry radioactive material into the range of the sensors.

[mapuc]

The article mentions "irradiated uranium", which is pretty strange and suggests that the writer doesn't know enough about the topic. Uranium is always radioactive, it doesn't have any stable isotopes, and it cannot be irradiated.


I do not have much knowledge about Uranium and nuclear power. It was through a Danish article I found the English version and I just copied the title of this article.
We have been discussing Chernobyl before, which was the reason behind my idea of posting it here.

Markus