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To: elcid1970

Not bad. But I would note that the concentration of fissionable material in a reactor is such that it cannot possibly cause a nuclear explosion. The un-concentrated fuel itself provides enough space and moderation between the fissionable nuclei to ensure that the reaction cannot happen fast enough to create a nuclear explosion.

Explosions in nuclear plants are from water flashing into steam or from the buildup of hydrogen gas.


67 posted on 03/29/2016 12:12:54 PM PDT by Haiku Guy (Admit you were conned / This means you are good and honest / There's no shame in this)
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To: Haiku Guy

Well...I was saying that when an uncontrolled reaction (atomic explosion) is the goal, no controls are applied but rather the opposite (compression to critical mass).

The chief danger from a nuclear reactor has always been not an atomic explosion, but uncontrolled release of radioactive materials (as dramatized by Garrett Morris).

IMO the best safety measure is to not build a reactor over a tectonic fault.


84 posted on 03/29/2016 12:52:55 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam. Buy ammo.")
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