Core meltdown
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If the reactor core cooling fails, e.g. due to a major
leakage in the reactor cooling circuit, and the emergency core cooling
system fails simultaneously, the residual heat in the fuel created by
the radioactive decay of the fission products heats up the reactor core
- possibly until the fuel melts. During the meltdown, the core support
structures also fail so that the whole molten mass drops into the lower
hemispherical area of the reactor pressure vessel. It can be assumed
that the heat released by the molten mass melts through the bottom of
the reactor pressure vessel. The density of the containment is important
for the extent of radioactive substances released to the environment
in the case of such a core meltdown accident.
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11 - 15 March 2018
Munich, Germany
30 September - 04 October 2018
Prague, Czech Republic |
