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> The shutdown mechanisms are specifically about the containment of heat. The problem is generally about a reaction not being shut off. Indeed? I was of the un
by korethr 5y ago
> The shutdown mechanisms are specifically about the containment of heat. The problem is generally about a reaction not being shut off.
Indeed? I was of the understanding that the shutdown mechanisms were specifically for halting the chain reaction, and largely a solved problem with mature tech, and it was containing the decay heat of Gen 2 designs that was the trickier problem.
I am happy to be wrong about the latter, though perhaps not as happy to be wrong about the former.
- godelski 5y agoIf the reaction is shut off then heat will decrease, not grow. So like TMI is an example where they thought the reaction was quenched but wasn't actually, due to bad sensors and other sensors not being near one another/easy to compare (this is fixed and obviously sensors have become more reliable since then). The reaction won't start up again without some source. If reactions were easy to maintain we would have had nuclear reactors long before the 50's.