In the RBMK design, the fuel rods can be shifted while the reactor is still running. It is pretty strange to stand in the control room, knowing the reactor is running, and watch on the video monitors as people walk around on the top of the reactor (what the Russians call the bio-shield).
"Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@aecl.ca> Sent by: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
18-01-00 05:13 PM
Please respond to radsafe
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
cc:
Subject: RE: Russia: Iran May Seek More Reactors
> the RMBK specially suited for this purpose because on-line refueling, in
> theory, permits production of low-burnup, high-percentage Pu-239 (ie.
> weapons-grade) Pu.
In practice, it depends whether the fueling machine can "shuffle" the fuel
rapidly enough to avoid excessive burnup throughout the core. If not, then
only a few fuel channels could potentially be exploited in this way, thus
greatly reducing the possible yield of WPu.
I have no idea what the situation is with actual operating RBMKs.
Jaro
PS. see also J. Whitlock's web posting on this topic (wrt CANDUs) at URL
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~cz725/cnf.htm#j2 and
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~cz725/cnf.htm#x1 and
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~cz725/cnf.htm#x2
> ----------
> From: Michael McNaughton[SMTP:mcnaught@lanl.gov]
> Reply To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Sent: Tuesday January 18, 2000 9:52 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Re: Russia: Iran May Seek More Reactors
>
> At 12:03 PM 1/17/00 -0600, you wrote:
> >I suppose because the RMBK can be easily
> >used to produce weapons grade plutonium
>
> In what way is the RMBK specially suited for this purpose? I thought that
> any source of thermal neutrons could be used to make Pu-239.
>
> mike
> Mike McNaughton
> email: mcnaught@LANL.gov or mcnaughton@LANL.gov
> phone: (505)667-6130
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