Re:Why are nuclear power construction costs so high? Part II...
by dickholesalad on Friday September 30, 2022 @09:00PM
(#33042698)
Chernobyl used a neutron moderator with a positive temperature coefficient of reactivity (liquid sodium), while U.S. Navy reactors use water, which has a negative coefficient of reactivity. The more energy you put into the water surrounding the reactor, the less reactive it allows the reactor to be. This has a stabilizing effect on the system. U.S. Navy reactors are inherently stable and inherently safe. To answer your question directly, yes entropy will trend toward making the reactor produce less heat with no intervention.
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Re:Why are nuclear power construction costs so high? Part II...
by pfdietz on Friday September 30, 2022 @10:26PM
(#33043201)
Chernobyl did not use liquid sodium. It was a graphite moderated thermal spectrum reactor with water as the coolant.
Re:Why are nuclear power construction costs so high? Part II...
by dickholesalad on Saturday October 01, 2022 @02:51PM
(#33048975)
I appreciate the correction. I had fusion of knowledge with a different reactor accident. https://allthingsnuclear.org/dlochbaum/nuclear-plant-acciden...