“a mishandled rod may go critical”
I don’t think a single rod can go critical under any circumstances.
“a mishandled rod may go critical”
I don’t think a single rod can go critical under any circumstances.
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Supposedly a broken rod can lose “cooling geometry” (e.g., crumble into a pile at the bottom of the tank in such a way that water cannot sufficiently circulate to keep it cool). If it melts in water it can melt through the tank and if water drains out of the tank then all those tons of fuel evaporate into the air or melt through the remaining tank. Many caution scenarios involve anything that would make the area too radioactive to be serviced by people so that the fuel remains immersed and cool.