[memento]

that's only true for their RMBK reactors (Chernobyl design), which are not a large % of their nulcear fleet. You can read my post above for more details. Have you seen the documentary yet? It's actually on the History channel - part of the "Seconds From Disaster" series.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

I've come to understand that the Soviet Union used/uses a very different (and considerably less safe) method of controling their nuclear power plants.

In a lot of cases, that's correct. Chernobyl's reactors were built very similarly to the University of Chicago "pile" that was used in the '30s to demonstrate that a fission chain reaction could both be caused and controlled. The difference is that the Chernobyl reactor had water running through it to cool it-and then be used to create electricity.

Contrast that with a U.S. reactor. Instead of having the uranium fuel basically stacked in amongst graphite brick, the uranium is mixed with other materials to produce pellets that are assembled into stainless steel tubes. The tubes (sometimes called "rods") are arranged in bundles within the core, allowing the core to be serviced to remove spent fuel and replace it quite efficiently. A graphite-based core obviously can burn, while a stainless steel core can only melt. Further, fuel rod bundle is completely surrounded by coolant which helps extract the thermal energy more efficiently. Cadmium control rods are intermingled with the fuel rods so that they are much more effective, and give the operators much finer control of the reaction. In a graphite reactor, the graphite supporting the fuel is again in between the uranium and the control rods.

All in all, the graphite design is dangerously backwards, which is why almost nobody ever built serious power plant reactors that way.

[crabsandbeer]

Retraction time: This guy's blog refutes some of Elena's story. However, her images are still moving.

http://maisonbisson.com/blog/?p=10300

[Eriamjh]

I thought this thread was appropriate to revive now that it has been 20 years.

Still shocking.

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm

[KeyLimePi]

I wouldn't revive it. There's been too much discussion about the validity of her story. Unfortunately it takes away from the real issues.

/:

[memento]

It does not take away anything IMHO. Russia wants the world to forget about this, yet they continue to be the world's worst polluter of radiation. still. today. It's unbelievable. They need attention drawn to their carelessness.

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by KeyLimePi

I wouldn't revive it. There's been too much discussion about the validity of her story. Unfortunately it takes away from the real issues.

/:

Yeah. Right. This statement from your link:

Apparently she didn't go around alone on a motorcycle. She went in a car with her husband and a friend.

takes away what from the real issues? What issue would that be?

Someone called her out on the trip. It doesn't change the pictures or the story of what happen to the place and the people.

[KeyLimePi]

Wow...you want a band-aid for that nerve?

Obviously, the link I posted was in favor of her piece. Exercise your overly defensive little fingers and you'll find volumes of sites debating her facts. A debate I for one am sick of.

If she had just stated the facts...let her photos do the talking...she could have avoided all the negativity and brought an important issue to the surface. But she had to romanticize it, and when you lie about one thing, no matter how insignificant*, it's going to cause people to doubt your veracity.


*Personally I think it's a pretty significant difference between going on solo motorcycle tour and riding through on a tourist bus...but that's just me.

[FeLiZeCaT]

True or false, it was a great thing to look at.

Thanks for bringing back memories.