sci.energy

"Eeyore" wrote in message
news: @ ...
>
>
> Rolf Martens wrote:
>
>> A similar sabotage is not possible in reactors using water
>> instead of graphite as moderator.
>
> You're a fucking IDIOT.
>
> The positive void coefficient problem with this reactor design was
> precisely due
> to the use of light water cooling.
>

But the key difference is the moderator. Rolf is correct because LWR
reactors use water both as coolant and moderator. So long as the fuel
relies on thermal neutrons for fission, a loss of moderator ( . coolant
leak) will stop the chain-reaction. The RBMK design, using graphite for a
moderator, didn't lose moderator when the water was lost. The simple result
is that LWR reactors have a negative void coefficient (an order of magnitude
larger than the moderator temperature coefficient) and cannot have the power
excursion that Chernobyl had on a LOCA.

daestrom