Power Plant Engineering

10.26.1 REACTOR DESIGN : RBMK-1000
Boiling Water Reactor
Electric generating capacity 1000 Megawatt.
Thermal output of core about 2000 Megawatt.
1661 zirconium fuel rods, holding mix of U-238 and U-235; Plutonium-239 is a byproduct,
which can be extracted by reprocessing the fuel rod material. Each fuel rod is enclosed in a heat transfer
water channel.
211 Boron control rods with 8 fuel rods/control rod
Graphite core 1700 tons, made up of graphite bricks
10.26.2 CONTROL OF THE REACTOR
1. Graphite Core, moderates neutron flux from fuel rods
2. Boron control rods to reduce neutron flux for shutdown
3. Thermal transfer control — closed circuit water/steam loop, multiple water pumps Nitrogen/
Helium gas within containment — low thermal conductivity and oxygen exclusion — pressure and gas
mixture are controlled. emergency core cooling water system (ECCS)
10.26.3 CHERNOBYL REACTOR OPERATIONS
Computer for fine control, operator controls set points of feedback controllers Central power
authority dictated operating levels in managing power grid Unnecessary shutdown meant 600,000 ruble
revenue loss, firing of person responsible.
Plant engineers found the plant unstable at low power levels,
Local practice was to manually pull control rods if downward fluctuation threatened spontane-
ous shutdown. Response time to scram: 18 seconds (theoretically it was claimed to be 3 seconds).
Regulations against manual control routinely excepted.
10.26.4 ACCIDENT\SAFETY PLANS
Published odds million to 1 against an accident. Authoritarian control staff & engineers do not
question safety. Accident planning was around a scenario of 1 or 2 fuel rod/water channels bursting. No
plan included a graphite fire. Administration building had emergency bunker under it. Reactor building
was a water tight containment building.
10.26.5 EVACUATION
Plant director had authority in principle to order evacuation of Pripyat. However a standing order
made any nuclear accident a state secret.