Eliminating the Possibility at Chernobyl 4 of Recriticality with Positive Feedback

Conference · Mon May 27 00:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:263918

Bowman, Charles D. ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

We have recently published an article in which we discuss means by which plutonium and other fissile material stored underground could reach criticality with positive feedback and therefore explosive potential. The Chernobyl rubble involving hundreds of tons of material is similar in some respects to the systems analyzed in the paper, and the practices there to control criticality may well increase the probability of a second event at Chernobyl 4. This paper explores the Chernobyl situation and remedial actions are recommended.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 263918
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-96-1801; CONF-9605143-2; ON: DE96011304; TRN: 96:016930
• Resource Relation: Conference: International Workshop on Transmutation Transformation Methods of Nuclear Waste , Dubna (Russian Federation) , 27-31 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: 29 Apr 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
CORIUM
CRITICALITY
WATER INFLUX
MELTDOWN
GADOLINIUM NITRATES
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
RESONANCE ESCAPE PROBABILITY
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
REACTOR SAFETY
TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT
CADMIUM
CADMIUM CHLORIDES
CROSS SECTIONS
WATER
REMOVAL
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Chernobyl
Remedial Actions