You have a pretty good explanation of the failure of the safety features. One thing I’m wondering, and it’s probably my ignorance of the system, but wouldn’t the nuclear pile “scram” in such a situation, i.e. the control rods would slam down and stop the reaction? Perhaps they did (if the reactor is such a design) and the overheating was due to residual heat, i.e. you can’t just shut the reactor off and it cools on its own without the assistance of a coolant system.
Comments appreciated.
Yes, initial reports said that all the reactors in the area scrammed automatically, but a scrammed reactor still has a lot of residual heat that needs to be removed or exposing the core to air is a risk if the water isn’t kept circulating. The backup diesel generators supplying power to the circulation pumps quit after a short time. No power to pump the cooling water...