From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,873e3ac877e7b6b6 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2003-08-15 22:45:01 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.airnews.net!cabal12.airnews.net!usenet From: "John R. Strohm" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Nuclear Reactors & Blackout Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 00:35:09 -0500 Organization: Airnews.net! at Internet America Message-ID: References: Abuse-Reports-To: abuse at airmail.net to report improper postings NNTP-Proxy-Relay: library1-aux.airnews.net NNTP-Posting-Time: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 00:42:00 -0500 (CDT) NNTP-Posting-Host: !YK`(1k-YAd0Jr! (Encoded at Airnews!) X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:41555 Date: 2003-08-16T00:35:09-05:00 List-Id: "Alexander Kopilovitch" wrote in message news:e2e5731a.0308151726.371b895f@posting.google.com... > Robert C. Leif wrote: > > > According to the US press, the reactors in New York State and other areas > > had to be shut down because there was a risk of an incident if the auxiliary > > power from the rest of the grid was lost. > > Well, not exacly shut down, but nuclear plants should be detached from the > damaged part of the power network as quickly as possible. Not because of lack > of auxiliary power, but because jumps of the power are very dangerous for this > type of electrical plants. So, it was proper and actually necessary action in > this situation. > > > This approach to hazard analysis should be named Fail-For-Sure. > > Well, this was not "hazard analysis", it was mandatory emergency action. > I think that that you statement is not just ignorant, but also arrogant. > If I were a terrorist I would dream you become director of a nuclear plant. > You may be good inventor and good scientist, but remember, that Chernobyl > story began when scientist (physist, but without significant experience > with real working nuclear plants) was assigned to a commanding position. > He invented his owm method and procedure for testing. The result of that > testing immediately became (in)famous worldwide. Alexander, with all due respect, this is an oversimplification. Part of the problem is that the people who designed the Chernobyl reactor had absolutely impeccable Party credentials, but did not know beans about reactor safety. They designed a reactor with a positive void coefficient of reactivity, which creates a built-in thermal runaway hazard, and thermal runaway is EXACTLY what happened at Chernobyl. The Chernobyl design is illegal in the United States of America, for damned good reason. Ed Teller, who wrote the law, figured that life would be simpler for everyone if reactors were simply not capable of thermal runaway at all. So all U.S. reactors are required to be designed with a negative void coefficient of reactivity. The U.S. has yet to experience anything even remotely resembling a Chernobyl accident. If you want more information, do a search on "void coefficent". Here are a couple of starters: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/void-coefficient-of-reactiv ity.html http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/voidcoef.htm