4 ms·

It seems that proper containment is gone in this case...

jessedhillon 16y ago
It seems that what you saw was the building surrounding the reactor being blown up, not the containment vessel, according to news accounts. The containment referred to in this case is a vessel made of a feet-thick layer of concrete surrounding the reactor. This is the final defense if a fuel meltdown occurs: its job is to contain the burning fuel and prevent it from being exposed to the environment. [1] What the GP was referring to is that there was no such vessel at Chernobyl, which was a very old reactor design. Modern reactors are surrounded in such vessels. [2] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containment_building http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containment_building [2] Here's some information about the reactor design at Chernobyl: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RBMK#Containment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RBMK#Containment Another interesting read is the story of the Russian engineers who prevented an explosion at Chernobyl by diving into the pool of water beneath the reactor and opening the drainage valves: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#Steam_explosion_risk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#Steam_explos...
- JanezStupar 16y ago
  I know the general layout of various types of nuclear reactors. But if the outer building which is supposed to contain everything else blows up - that's not exactly the best case is it?
  - vukk 16y ago
    "... that's not exactly the best case is it?" You could think about the outer building as keeping the rain out, and possibly aeroplanes to some extent. It is not the critical last defence against stuff happening in the reactor, the containment building is. You can bet that the japanese army is keeping any possible threats out of there.
    - JanezStupar 16y ago
      I read somewhere that this design does not have a containment dome. So basically containment wise (in comparison to Chernobil) this reactor is a bit better that it uses reactor containment vessel, but it does not use containment dome. I also read that on TMI a similar hydrogen explosion occurred but it was contained by containment dome.
      - neutronicus 16y ago
        It doesn't have a concrete containment dome. It's got a steel containment vessel surrounding the main reactor vessel, though.
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It seems that what you saw was the building surrounding the reactor being blown up, not the containment vessel, according to news accounts. The containment referred to in this case is a vessel made of a feet-thick layer of concrete surrounding the reactor. This is the final defense if a fuel meltdown occurs: its job is to contain the burning fuel and prevent it from being exposed to the environment. [1] What the GP was referring to is that there was no such vessel at Chernobyl, which was a very old reactor design. Modern reactors are surrounded in such vessels. [2] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containment_building http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containment_building [2] Here's some information about the reactor design at Chernobyl: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RBMK#Containment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RBMK#Containment Another interesting read is the story of the Russian engineers who prevented an explosion at Chernobyl by diving into the pool of water beneath the reactor and opening the drainage valves: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#Steam_explosion_risk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#Steam_explos...

JanezStupar 16y ago
I know the general layout of various types of nuclear reactors. But if the outer building which is supposed to contain everything else blows up - that's not exactly the best case is it?
- vukk 16y ago
  "... that's not exactly the best case is it?" You could think about the outer building as keeping the rain out, and possibly aeroplanes to some extent. It is not the critical last defence against stuff happening in the reactor, the containment building is. You can bet that the japanese army is keeping any possible threats out of there.
  - JanezStupar 16y ago
    I read somewhere that this design does not have a containment dome. So basically containment wise (in comparison to Chernobil) this reactor is a bit better that it uses reactor containment vessel, but it does not use containment dome. I also read that on TMI a similar hydrogen explosion occurred but it was contained by containment dome.
    - neutronicus 16y ago
      It doesn't have a concrete containment dome. It's got a steel containment vessel surrounding the main reactor vessel, though.
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