Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
There are a few things about Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and American VS Russian nuclear design that you guys should consider too. I'm sure Loghead can chime in here too.
Chernobyl, in the Ukraine, was the worst nuclear accident in the history of nuclear power. It was a combination of extremely poor reactor design, and poor training by an understaffed team of operators. Chernobyl uses an RBMK reactor design. Without going into alot of detail, an RBMK reactor increases it's power output as it gets hotter, making it extremely unstable. There's a point where the reactor will just get hotter, and hotter, and you can't stop it. Think of it as a poorly loaded trailer. If it wobbles a little bit, the wobble will get worse unless you do something. The operators were also conducting an experiment on the reactor. The experiment itself wouldn't have been a big deal, but the operators had several oversights, broke protocol, and made other mistakes that all lead to the reactor melting. Plus, the RBMK reactors are huge, making containment buildings very difficult. You could basically walk up and touch the reactor.
American reactors, on the other hand, get less efficient as they heat up. The hotter they get, the less likely nuclear fission is to occur. Usually American reactors use either Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) or Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they are both safe. Think of these reactors as properly loaded trailers. If it wobbles a little bit, it will usually help straighten itself out. Plus, American reactors are contained in a containment building that is further contained in a concrete/steel shield to protect it from missiles and hi-jacked airliners.
Another American VS Russian reactor issue is that of the control rods that regulate power output. In the RBMK reactor, the control rods actually increase power output, During the first part of the insertion. After that, they begin to power the reactor down. Plus, it takes nearly a half a minute to insert them. In other words, the problem has to get worse before it gets better. In PWR and BWR reactors, the control rods are inserted in just a few seconds and almost instantly halt the reaction.
Three Mile Island had two reactors, both of which were PWR type designs. What started as a small problem snowballed because of operator error and a few mechanical issues. The operator error came in because the mechanical problems could have been easily overidden had somebody seen the problem. Either way, Three Mile Island didn't have a full meltdown of the reactor like people were worried about. They damaged some of the fuel rods, but the reactor didn't melt like Chernobyl. After the accident they placed Geiger counters around the plant, and none registered significant amounts of radiation. Even the most exposed person recieved less radiation from the plant than they would in about 6 months of normal living.
To sum it up, American reactors have so many safeguards it's not even funny. Russian reactors don't. American reactors are stable, contained, triple or even quadruple redundant, and have an excellent saftey record. Russian reactors, not so much... .
Chernobyl, in the Ukraine, was the worst nuclear accident in the history of nuclear power. It was a combination of extremely poor reactor design, and poor training by an understaffed team of operators. Chernobyl uses an RBMK reactor design. Without going into alot of detail, an RBMK reactor increases it's power output as it gets hotter, making it extremely unstable. There's a point where the reactor will just get hotter, and hotter, and you can't stop it. Think of it as a poorly loaded trailer. If it wobbles a little bit, the wobble will get worse unless you do something. The operators were also conducting an experiment on the reactor. The experiment itself wouldn't have been a big deal, but the operators had several oversights, broke protocol, and made other mistakes that all lead to the reactor melting. Plus, the RBMK reactors are huge, making containment buildings very difficult. You could basically walk up and touch the reactor.
American reactors, on the other hand, get less efficient as they heat up. The hotter they get, the less likely nuclear fission is to occur. Usually American reactors use either Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) or Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they are both safe. Think of these reactors as properly loaded trailers. If it wobbles a little bit, it will usually help straighten itself out. Plus, American reactors are contained in a containment building that is further contained in a concrete/steel shield to protect it from missiles and hi-jacked airliners.
Another American VS Russian reactor issue is that of the control rods that regulate power output. In the RBMK reactor, the control rods actually increase power output, During the first part of the insertion. After that, they begin to power the reactor down. Plus, it takes nearly a half a minute to insert them. In other words, the problem has to get worse before it gets better. In PWR and BWR reactors, the control rods are inserted in just a few seconds and almost instantly halt the reaction.
Three Mile Island had two reactors, both of which were PWR type designs. What started as a small problem snowballed because of operator error and a few mechanical issues. The operator error came in because the mechanical problems could have been easily overidden had somebody seen the problem. Either way, Three Mile Island didn't have a full meltdown of the reactor like people were worried about. They damaged some of the fuel rods, but the reactor didn't melt like Chernobyl. After the accident they placed Geiger counters around the plant, and none registered significant amounts of radiation. Even the most exposed person recieved less radiation from the plant than they would in about 6 months of normal living.
To sum it up, American reactors have so many safeguards it's not even funny. Russian reactors don't. American reactors are stable, contained, triple or even quadruple redundant, and have an excellent saftey record. Russian reactors, not so much... .
Last edited:
