4 ms·

How does your reactor melt down if it is submerged in coolant?

• cyberax 4mo ago
  It boils off the coolant, creating a vapor lock, then water-zirconium reaction happens. Then it explodes and ruins the shaft. So you'll have to drill a rescue well, and then defuel the reactor to avoid any possible contamination. Again, this is a monumentally stupid idea for no reason whatsoever. And modern reactors are already passively safe. Even if the core melts down, it'll be contained in a core catcher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_catcher https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_catcher
  • consensus1 4mo ago
    It boils off a 1 mile deep water column? And you don't need a core catcher when you are already 1 mile deep in bedrock. It just goes to the bottom of the hole.
    • cyberax 4mo ago
      > It boils off a 1 mile deep water column? Yes? > And you don't need a core catcher when you are already 1 mile deep in bedrock. Yes, you do. Because if the shaft explodes or gets blocked near the top, the fission products can travel up the water column.
      • consensus1 4mo ago
        So this thing is just boiling off water from the mile deep water column, and nobody things "hey maybe we could add some more water"? How does a shaft "explode"? What is generating the explosive force?