It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history and was caused by one of only two nuclear energy accidents rated at seven the maximum severity on the international. 4 reactor in the chernobyl nuclear power plant near the city of pripyat in the north of the ukrainian ssr. The chernobyl disaster was caused by a nuclear accident that occurred on saturday 26 april 1986 at the no.
A hospital in the nearby town of pripyat is overrun with radiation victims. 4 reactor of the chernobyl nuclear power plant. A large fire rages in the ruins of the no.
On april 26 1986 when extremely hot nuclear fuel rods were lowered into cooling water an immense amount of steam was created which because of the reactors design flaws created more reactivity in the nuclear core of reactor number 4. The chernobyl disaster happened at 1 23 a m. The heat and power rose to the point where the water used to cool the reactor vaporized generating pressure that blew the reactor assembly apart in a powerful explosion.
The core temperature of the reactor rose causing an even greater power surge and the control rods that might otherwise have managed the reaction were inserted too late to help. Meanwhile the molten reactor core graphite and concrete slag were blazing at 1200 degrees celsius and about to burn through the floor. The horrific consequences of that can be seen in chernobyl.
In the aftermath of the notorious accidents in the history of nuclear energy at three mile island 1979 chernobyl 1986 and fukushima 2011 where all three have turned into devastating disasters due to meltdown in the core of a reactor leading in turn to the release of radiation into the environment many countries around the world have already pledged to a nuclear power phase out. After the chernobyl accident some rbmk reactors were retrofitted with a partial containment structure in lieu of a full. In the chernobyl accident the pressure rose to levels high enough to blow the top off the reactor breaking open the fuel channels in the process and starting a massive fire when air contacted the superheated graphite core.
Previously the administration resolved not spent extra money to chernobyl reactor cover. Chernobyl reactor core rbmk 1000 was a graphite cylinder that is why radwaste stuck to pieces of graphite and as the dust was thrown out by the explosion. The radioactive lava that formed was named corium.
In april 1986 reactor 4 of the wladimir iljitsch lenin atomic power station near the city of chernobyl experiences a catastrophic core meltdown.
