4 ms·

Can newer plants be bombed? Can they be abandoned?

by RikNieu 5y ago

csee 5y ago
See molten salt reactors. There are automatic mechanisms that are supposed to prevent worst case situations.
- nl 5y ago
  Molten salt reactors are designed to avoid meltdowns. But most of the harm at Chernobyl was from the explosion. There is nothing in a molten salt reactor that makes them any safer than Chernobyl if the reactor containment is breached. Massive amounts of highly radioactive particles will be ejected into the atmosphere in exactly the same way as happened at Chernobyl. Molten salt advocates will say "yes, but what could possibly breach the reactor if there is no meltdown". Well we almost saw the answer to that today.
  - leeoniya 5y ago
    > A steam explosion is what happened to the Chernobyl reactor in 1986. Although this lead to a serious disaster, it is much less destructive than an actual nuclear explosion (Wilkins, 2011). Due to the nature of molten salt reactors, the risk of either a steam explosion, a hydrogen explosion or a meltdown is effectively eliminated. https://www.thmsr.com/en/safe/ https://www.thmsr.com/en/safe/
    - nl 5y ago
      > Due to the nature of molten salt reactors, the risk of either a steam explosion, a hydrogen explosion or a meltdown is effectively eliminated. Do they somehow stop the risk of artillery? Because to be absolutely clear: that's what the risk here was.
- leeoniya 5y ago
  but also cannot realistically operate for very long becase structural components tend to deteriorate quickly from the combo of salt, high heat, and radiation.
- sitic 5y ago
  "Another basic problem with MSRs is that the materials used to manufacture the various reactor components will be exposed to hot salts that are chemically corrosive, while being bombarded by radioactive particles. So far, there is no material that can perform satisfactorily in such an environment. A 2018 review from the Idaho National Laboratory could only recommended that “a systematic development program be initiated” to develop new alloys that might work better. There is, of course, no guarantee that the program will be successful." https://theconversation.com/nuclear-power-why-molten-salt-reactors-are-problematic-and-canada-investing-in-them-is-a-waste-167019 https://theconversation.com/nuclear-power-why-molten-salt-re...

Can newer plants be bombed? Can they be abandoned?

csee 5y ago

See molten salt reactors. There are automatic mechanisms that are supposed to prevent worst case situations.

nl 5y ago
Molten salt reactors are designed to avoid meltdowns. But most of the harm at Chernobyl was from the explosion. There is nothing in a molten salt reactor that makes them any safer than Chernobyl if the reactor containment is breached. Massive amounts of highly radioactive particles will be ejected into the atmosphere in exactly the same way as happened at Chernobyl. Molten salt advocates will say "yes, but what could possibly breach the reactor if there is no meltdown". Well we almost saw the answer to that today.
- leeoniya 5y ago
  > A steam explosion is what happened to the Chernobyl reactor in 1986. Although this lead to a serious disaster, it is much less destructive than an actual nuclear explosion (Wilkins, 2011). Due to the nature of molten salt reactors, the risk of either a steam explosion, a hydrogen explosion or a meltdown is effectively eliminated. https://www.thmsr.com/en/safe/ https://www.thmsr.com/en/safe/
  - nl 5y ago
    > Due to the nature of molten salt reactors, the risk of either a steam explosion, a hydrogen explosion or a meltdown is effectively eliminated. Do they somehow stop the risk of artillery? Because to be absolutely clear: that's what the risk here was.
leeoniya 5y ago
but also cannot realistically operate for very long becase structural components tend to deteriorate quickly from the combo of salt, high heat, and radiation.
sitic 5y ago
"Another basic problem with MSRs is that the materials used to manufacture the various reactor components will be exposed to hot salts that are chemically corrosive, while being bombarded by radioactive particles. So far, there is no material that can perform satisfactorily in such an environment. A 2018 review from the Idaho National Laboratory could only recommended that “a systematic development program be initiated” to develop new alloys that might work better. There is, of course, no guarantee that the program will be successful." https://theconversation.com/nuclear-power-why-molten-salt-reactors-are-problematic-and-canada-investing-in-them-is-a-waste-167019 https://theconversation.com/nuclear-power-why-molten-salt-re...