Chernobyl accident management actions

Journal Article · · Nuclear Safety; (United States)

OSTI ID:6775996

Sich, A R ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)

Accident Management Actions taken during the first days after the Chernobyl accident either proved ineffective or were not fulfilled as reported by the Soviets at the International Atomic Energy Agency Meeting of Experts in Vienna in August 1986. Most significant to source-term analyses and estimates is that it is now believed that approximately 71% of the initial 190.3 tonne UO[sub 2] fuel load was exposed to a high-temperature oxidizing environment because the core was neither covered with various materials thrown from helicopters to smother the fire nor was the core purged with (liquid) nitrogen. Both these actions were originally believed (on the basis of Soviet reports) to have effectively brought the crises to an end. These results seem to support earlier western far-field source term estimates that significantly more volatile radionuclides may have been released as a result of the accident than reported by the Soviets in August 1986. 46 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6775996
• Journal Information: Nuclear Safety; (United States), Journal Name: Nuclear Safety; (United States) Vol. 35:1; ISSN 0029-5604; ISSN NUSAAZ
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220502 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Radioactive Effluents
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
AIR POLLUTION
BORON CARBIDES
BORON COMPOUNDS
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATE MINERALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
CLAYS
COMPILED DATA
DATA
DOLOMITE
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPLOSIONS
FIRES
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LEAD
LIQUEFIED GASES
LWGR TYPE REACTORS
MANAGEMENT
METALS
MINERALS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POWER REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
SAND
THERMAL REACTORS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER COOLED REACTORS