What really happened in Fukushima?
Following a major earthquake, a 15-metre tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a nuclear accident beginning on 11 March 2011. All three cores largely melted in the first three days.
Why was graphite used in Chernobyl?
Although the Chernobyl reactor was also cooled by water, the water was essentially only used for cooling, but not slowing down the neutrons. Instead, enormous blocks of graphite surrounded the fuel and were used to slow down the neutrons. The graphite blocks caught fire causing more heat and damage.
Is Fukushima still radioactive 2019?
A wall of water destroyed cooling capabilities at the Fukushima nuclear plant and three of its six nuclear reactors melted down, forcing the evacuation of 160,000 people. The radioactive remains of the reactor buildings are, however, still off limits. But areas underground beneath the plant remain extremely hazardous.
How long will Fukushima be uninhabitable?
100 years
What happens when you touch graphite Chernobyl?
Graphite is useful in nuclear power plants because it can be used on control rods to adsorb radioactivity. The graphic chunks at Chernobyl are highly radioactive due to the explosion. Touch a piece of this graphite would cause immediate and severe burns.
What happens if you touch a nuclear core?
Boiling in the core will occur, fuel damage will happen, and not very much cooling will occur at all. The fuel will melt, and corium will be produced. There is going to be a lot of steam/hydrogen production as the water hits the Corium, and as the Corium reacts with the concrete.
What caused Chernobyl to fail?
The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. The resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the environment, with the deposition of radioactive materials in many parts of Europe.