3 ms·
Each reactor core holds over 100 tons of uranium, of which about 3-5 tons is U-235. Critical mass under perfect conditions is 50 kilograms. Critical masses don
by mchouza 16y ago
Each reactor core holds over 100 tons of uranium, of which about 3-5 tons is U-235. Critical mass under perfect conditions is 50 kilograms.
Critical masses don't work that way: the additional U-238 absorbs neutrons making more difficult to achieve criticality. In fact, even an infinite amount of unmoderated natural uranium cannot sustain a chain reaction. See the figure 3.1 in [1] for more information about unmoderated critical masses for enriched uranium.
[1] http://www.ornl.gov/sci/radiation_transport_criticality/HopperPubs/DefWeaponsUsableU-233ORNLTM13517.pdf http://www.ornl.gov/sci/radiation_transport_criticality/Hopp...
- jellicle 16y agoChernobyl used UNENRICHED uranium, containing only .7% of U235, and went kablooey. Which you just said can't happen, so I suppose Chernobyl didn't actually happen. /thread This thread has brought out the worst aspects of Hacker News - reasonably bright people who feel compelled to opine, in their usual arrogant "I am always right" manner, about subjects where they have no clue.
- blastek 16y agoWhat the FUCKKKKKKKK? You DO know Chernobyl wasn't a nuclear explosion right? It was a STEAM explosion.
- mchouza 16y agoPlease read carefully before making absurd accusations. I said: "even an infinite amount of unmoderated natural uranium cannot sustain a chain reaction". The nuclear excursion at Chernobyl occurred in a graphite-moderated reactor core. I don't claim any special expertise in nuclear power but, as you don't seem to know the importance of moderation in criticality, I think you should refrain from accusing others of cluelessness in this topic.