Hes really good here at laying down the background of the disaster itself, the plants construction, the days leading up to it, and the moments the accident occurred. The author has clearly thoroughly researched all aspects of what happened, both before, during, and after the reactor explosion. Media in category schemata of rbmk the following 34 files are in this category, out of 34 total. Richard rhodes is the author or editor of twentytwo books, including the making of the atomic bomb, which won a pulitzer prize in nonfiction, a national book award and a national book critics circle award, and dark sun.
So i cover basic reactor physics, explain how the rbmk reactor works, how xenon 5 works, why the control rods included graphite tips, and why the reactor became unstable and ran away. In this video, you can see how does the nuclear reactor work, and wh. Chernobyls 1986 rbmk reactor explosion remains the single largest nuclear disaster in human history but how did the chernobyl nuclear explosion happen. The history of rbmk reactors is characterized by continuous transition from one type of fuel to another.
The rbmk is an unusual reactor design, one of two to emerge in the soviet union. The rbmk reactor designed to produce electricity and plutonium is a scaledup version of these reactors. Evaluation of coolant density history effect in rbmk type. Since the 1970s, the soviets have built additional graphite moderatedlight water cooled production reactors in siberia. The rbmk reactor chernobyl history % the explosion at the chernobyl nuclear power plant was associated with the use of rbmk a highpower channel reactor.
This book is a fascinating, but worrying, account of the chernobyl disaster. Some of the history takes a bit of absorbing on account of the russian names, but that is a relatively minor concern. Use of uraniumerbium and plutoniumerbium fuel in rbmk. Plokhy is a historian of ukrainian politics for the most part. The axial heterogeneous void distribution in a fuel channel is a relevant and important issue during nuclear reactor analysis for lwr, especially for. Rbmk reactors and weaponsgrade plutonium production.
A view from the bridge the tragedy of chernobyl books. The design has core characteristics which make it prone to power surges. The rbmk was the culmination of the soviet nuclear power program to produce a watercooled power reactor with dualuse potential based on their graphitemoderated plutonium production military reactors. The first of these, obninsk am1, atom mirny, russian for atoms for peace generated 5 mw of electricity from 30. Major modifications have been made to rbmk reactors still operating. Serhii plokhys book is the first comprehensive history from the explosion of the nuclear reactor to the closing of the plant in december 2000 and the final stages in the completion of the new shelter over the damaged reactor in may 2018. Why chernobyl exploded the real physics behind the reactor. The making of the hydrogen bomb, which was one of three finalists for a pulitzer prize in history. At the entrance to the zone of alienation around the chernobyl nuclear power plant in ukraine stand two kiosks, painted a radioactive shade of yellow.