CHERNOBYL

NUCLEAR DISASTER
PRESENTED BY:
SANSKAR GUPTA AND SAGAR YADAV
CHERNOBYL DISASTER: THE WORST NUCLEAR
DISASTER IN HISTORY

• 100 Times more radioactivity than Hiroshima

• This disaster caused so much radiation equivalent to

radiation of two Hiroshima bombs blasting every hour.
So think within 24 hours the radiation was equivalent
to 48 Hiroshima bombs.

Let’s take a deeper look at it.

WHERE IS
CHERNOBY
L?
LET’S
FIRST SEE
WHAT IS A
RBMK
REACTOR
REACTOR
SCHEMATI
C
 SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1986:
• There were 4 reactors in the nuclear power plant and the reactor 4 was
undergoing a test to test the backup power supply in case of a power loss.

• The power fell too low and to controls it all the rods through which the
reactor worked were pulled out.
NOW LETS’S
HAVE A LOOK • The experiment caused the coolant pump to shut which caused pockets of
steam in coolant lines and there was a massive power surge.
AT WHAT
HAPPENED • The reactor was made to function at 1000 MW but it went above 33000
MW.
ON THE D-
• To stop the reaction there is a button called AZ-5 which was pressed which
DAY: pushed all the rods back but they had a major flaw and became stuck.

• The rods melted and the steam pressure caused an explosion which blew a
hole in the roof. The oxygen rushed in combined with graphite and caused a
nuclear explosion and a graphite fire.

• This dispersed large amount of radioactive particulate and gaseous debris

containing caesium-137 and Sr-90.
  Workers lack of knowledge of reactor physics and engineering, as
well as lack of experience and traing.

 The plant head was advised not to carry out the test but in order to
meet the deadline to get the certificate and to earn bonus, the test
was carried during the night shift which was not prepared to carry
out the experiment.

 Insufficient communication between the safety officers and the

Reasons for operators who blackmailed the staff to do what was told.

Accident-
 Disabled all safety systems

 The most important fact was the poor quality of the reactor in order
to save money because only Soviet union made RBMK reactors which
worked on water and positive void coefficient.

 The above fact was even tried to held from the court by the
KGB(secret government spy agency).
Now lets exactly see what happened inside:
 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND

REALEASE ENERGY
 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY
 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY

• COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY

• POSITIVE VOID COEFFECIENT – MORE STEAM • COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID
MORE REACTIVITY
 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY

• POSITIVE VOID COEFFECIENT – MORE STEAM • COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID
MORE REACTIVITY

• MORE STEAM-MORE HEAT

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY

• POSITIVE VOID COEFFECIENT – MORE STEAM • COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID
MORE REACTIVITY

• MORE STEAM-MORE HEAT • NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT- AS FUEL

GETS HOTTER IT BECOMES LESS REACTIVE
 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY

• POSITIVE VOID COEFFECIENT – MORE STEAM • COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID
MORE REACTIVITY

• MORE STEAM-MORE HEAT • NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT- AS FUEL

GETS HOTTER IT BECOMES LESS REACTIVE

• XENON POISONING
 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY

• POSITIVE VOID COEFFECIENT – MORE STEAM • COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID
MORE REACTIVITY

• MORE STEAM-MORE HEAT • NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT- AS FUEL

GETS HOTTER IT BECOMES LESS REACTIVE

• XENON POISONING

• STILL BEING CREATED AT 30 MW(STALLED)

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY

• COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID

• MORE STEAM-MORE HEAT • NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT- AS FUEL

GETS HOTTER IT BECOMES LESS REACTIVE

• XENON POISONING

• STILL BEING CREATED AT 30 MW(STALLED)

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND • BORON CARBON RODS ACT LIKE BRAKES
REALEASE ENERGY

• COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID

• NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT- AS FUEL

GETS HOTTER IT BECOMES LESS REACTIVE

• XENON POISONING

• STILL BEING CREATED AT 30 MW(STALLED)

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND

REALEASE ENERGY
• COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID

• NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT- AS FUEL

GETS HOTTER IT BECOMES LESS REACTIVE

• XENON POISONING

• STILL BEING CREATED AT 30 MW(STALLED)

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND

REALEASE ENERGY
• COLD WATER MAKES STEAM MAKING A VOID

• XENON POISONING

• STILL BEING CREATED AT 30 MW(STALLED)

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND

REALEASE ENERGY

• XENON POISONING

• STILL BEING CREATED AT 30 MW(STALLED)

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND

REALEASE ENERGY
 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND

REALEASE ENERGY

• POSITIVE VOID COEFFECIENT – MORE STEAM

MORE REACTIVITY
 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND

REALEASE ENERGY

• POSITIVE VOID COEFFECIENT – MORE STEAM

MORE REACTIVITY

• MORE STEAM-MORE HEAT

 REACTIVITY GOES UP REACTIVITY GOES DOWN

• URANIUM FUEL- ATOMS SPLIT UP AND

REALEASE ENERGY

• POSITIVE VOID COEFFECIENT – MORE STEAM

MORE REACTIVITY

• MORE STEAM-MORE HEAT

• INCREASES HEAT

• INCREASES STEAM
IMPACTS
•RADIOACTIVE RELEASE
RESIDUAL
IMPACT ON
ENVIRONMENT
HEALTH
EFFECTS
• Increased rates of leukemia and non thyroid
solid cancer

• Increase in cardiovascular diseases

• Cataract cases rose

• Birth defects are still seen today

• Pregnancy disorders

• High levels of stress and anxiety

 THINGS DONE TO
REDUCE EXPOSURE
LESSONS LEARNED
 PRESENTED BY:
THANK YOU SANSKAR GUPTA AND
SAGAR YADAV