Wat is een nucleaire meltdown?
Een kernsmelting of meltdown is een ongeluk met een kernreactor waarbij de kern van de reactor oververhit raakt en brandstofelementen smelten. Dit gebeurt wanneer de reactorkern niet voldoende gekoeld wordt, een zogenaamd loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA).
Wat gebeurt er als Borssele ontploft?
In het ergste geval gaat de meltdown gepaard met een ontploffing die scheuren in de buitenwanden veroorzaakt. Volgens emeritus hoogleraar kernfysica Cees Andriesse zou de straling die dan vrijkomt in de directe omgeving voor tientallen doden kunnen zorgen.
What is a nuclear meltdown?
The term nuclear meltdown is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. However, it has been defined to mean the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor, and is in common usage a reference to the core’s either complete or partial collapse.
Where is the nuclear meltdown on Three Mile Island?
Image Gallery: Nuclear Meltdown Disasters Reactor 2 sits dormant in the foreground at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. See more pictures of nuclear meltdown disasters . The term “nuclear meltdown” has become synonymous with worst-case scenarios.
What are the most disastrous nuclear meltdowns in history?
The top three most disastrous meltdowns include Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986, and Fukushima Daiichi in 2011. It is important to remember that a nuclear meltdown isn’t a singular tragic event as is often the case with natural disasters.
How can we prevent a nuclear meltdown?
To prevent a post-accident nuclear reaction, steps have been taken, such as adding neutron poisons to key parts of the basement. The effects of a nuclear meltdown depend on the safety features designed into a reactor. A modern reactor is designed both to make a meltdown unlikely, and to contain one should it occur.