Nuclear Energy

I choose the Chernobyl accident, the devasting incident in which the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant had exploded due to a reactor failure.

The Cherynobl nuclear power plant blew after a failure in one of its reactors. Once it blew tons of radition was realesed and containmented the entire surrounding area.

This was one if not the biggest nuclear diaster this world has ever had. People from all over the world were effected. Liquidators and many medical people from all over the world come to study and help the after effects of Cherynobyl. My cus went their as well to study.

* The reactor had a dangerously large positive void coefficient. This means that if bubbles of steam form in the reactor coolant water. The nuclear reaction speeds up, leading to a unstable reaction. At low power output, this positive void coefficient was not compensated by other factors, which made the reactor unstable and dangerous.

* Another significant flaw of the reactor was in the control rods. In a nuclear reactor, control rods are inserted into the reactor to slow down the reaction. However, in the RBMK reactor design, the control rod end tips were made of graphite, the extenders were hollow and filled with water, while the balance of the control rod - the truly functional area, absorbing the neutrons and thereby halting the reaction - were made of boron carbide.

One reason why this could have atleast been contained if their was a outwall (Which most if not all nuclear power plants now have). Which could have stopped the radioactive wave from leaving the plant. But Cherynobl didnt have this so the gamma rays where easily able to spread. When fission is generated it creates alot of energy, and massive amounts of heat. And in this situation it wasnt contained by a powerful enough reactor. The Reactor wasnt able to handle the flux due to the failure which caused it to explode. And again there was no outer wall to hold in the radiation. This unstable reaction was allowed to grow unknown to its workers untill the reactor couldnt take the pressure and blew. This power that we are trying to wield must be able to be contained, the chemistry here failed but hopefully future nuclear power will have better safety precautions.

In 2005 a IAEA (International Atomic Agency Report) came out. Reported is 56 direct deaths and a estimated 4000 long term deaths. The surrounding area of the plant is all contaimented which forces vast amount of money to be spent even to this day to clean up and also the medical care for those who are sick from such dieses like cancer.

Radioactive meterial must be handle with the utmost care mistakes cannot be allowed for this reason. We must be more prepared for such things in the future and not try to go further then are technological limits.