Thread: Holidays to Chernobyl - Отпуск в Чернобыль?!

There is a very interesting book by Anatoly Dyatlov - "Chernobyl- how it was". In Discovery Channel film, he was shown as the main culprit of this disaster. To my knowledge, no one more of participants of this tragedy has left detailed memories. By the way, Discovery Channel also founded on the book, which Dyatlov often refers too, and, for some reason, I believe him anymore.
Link on this book (in russian) - http://pripyat.com/sm/site/fileslibr...how_it_was.pdf

Speaking of that - Dyatlov was one of the several men who were held responsible for the disaster (he was a deputy chief engineer on the power plant). I studied many materials about the disaster and, though I'm not in the position to judge since I have not seen all the documents, from what I studied I can conclude that personnel (Dyatlov included) made many mistakes that day and generally it was due to human intervention that the reactor blew up, it was not due to poor design (the main alternative version) or technical malfunction. Dyatlov claims that they were not aware of the positive reactivity that occurs at certain modes of operation but they deliberately put the reactor in the condition it was not designed to operate in violation of all operating instructions and regulations. As one of the RBMK constructors said -- it's a very good and reliable reactor unless you blow it up deliberately.

When you read his book (a very interesting reading, by the way) don't set your head to stone with his version of the disaster alone.

Yes, I agree, the station personnel must hold responsible, but they was only engineers and couldn't to know all about positive reactivity in reactor. In the operation instructions was no information about this effect. And instructions had no restrictions to use reactor in these modes (number of raised rods, for example). I am an engineer and often must operate sophisticated equipment, but I don't know, how works many things inside of the devices and operate only according to instructions, written by developers. Only if personnel violated an instruction, it must hold responsible. And another fact, the reactor exploded after pressing the emergency stop button. It's impossible in normal system. On forum.ixbt.com there is an interesting thread, where people discussing this disaster, and there is an many posts from the lead engineer of reactor operation on chernobyl station. There discusses a many aspects of reactor control and personnel actions in different situations. And another thing. If the oficial version of this disaster was a design mistake, then IAEA would require the closure of all similar reactors, and this variant was impossible for USSR goverment, and a version of human error was the most convenient. By the way, all similar reactors have been upgraded to prevent a similar catastrophe in future. This suggests that not all was so safe. Where the truth, I don't know, but the personnel is not only one, who is guilty...

Originally Posted by HukoJIau

Yes, I agree, the station personnel must hold responsible, but they was only engineers and couldn't to know all about positive reactivity in reactor. In the operation instructions was no information about this effect.

Well, I agree, when they write in the manual for a wristwatch 'DO NOT BOIL', 'DO NOT EAT', now I see why.
They couldn't know about positive reactivity but the reactor has to be shut down when the initial power drop occured, but Akimov decided to continue the experiment and ordered to raise the power by extracting more rods.
There were at least 5 (FIVE) alert signals each of them demanded the operators to shut the reactor down (I know that they could use the reactor in this mode because they read the documentation and knew what to expect). But this situation was not in the regulations and they were using what we call 'undocumented features'. По-русски всё просто -- положились "на авось". 'The manufacturer does not guarantee safe work... blah blah blah... use at your own risk.'

Originally Posted by HukoJIau

And another fact, the reactor exploded after pressing the emergency stop button. It's impossible in normal system.

This button was pressed when the core has already been melted. The rods simply couldn't go down under the vapor pressure and the shafts were already damaged. They pushed it too late.

Originally Posted by HukoJIau

If the oficial version of this disaster was a design mistake, then IAEA would require the closure of all similar reactors, and this variant was impossible for USSR goverment, and a version of human error was the most convenient. By the way, all similar reactors have been upgraded to prevent a similar catastrophe in future. This suggests that not all was so safe. Where the truth, I don't know, but the personnel is not only one, who is guilty...

There are several identical reactors in use at a nuclear power plant called Ignalina in Lithuania. It's like "the sister" of Chernobyl. The name was mentioned a lot just after the accident. But the view of experts was that it was in fact safe. I guess that's a good reflection on the design.

Apparently that it is still in use; the Lithuanians refuse to close it, despite the EU insisting on it. I don't know what reservations the EU has though. Lithuania has no other good source of power and any alternative would make them too dependent on imports and "dirty energy" like coal.

I saw the documentary that's mentioned here, and IF the information in that reconstruction is true; then Dyagilev has a lot of lives on his conscience!! It's hard to imagine that anyone can decide to ignore safety regulations at a nuclear power plant...

Originally Posted by Hanna

I saw the documentary that's mentioned here, and IF the information in that reconstruction is true; then Dyagilev has a lot of lives on his conscience!! It's hard to imagine that anyone can decide to ignore safety regulations at a nuclear power plant...

Oh, no. The man in command was Alexander Akimov. Akimov claimed he objected the continuation of the experiment, but Dyatlov insisted. They both are dead now, but Dyatlov was the only one who managed to write a book though and I don't think that one can actually put all the blame on himself when he writes. The key reason for the accident was the fact that there was some 'grey spots' in the documentation and the operators assumptions about it were wrong. There was a risk, but still it's a mistake, but not negligence, in my opinion. Besides, the procedure for the experiment was approved by many other officials. They should have shut the thing down when it went wrong. But you have to take into account that it was USSR and it could cost a career or worse.

Анатолий Вассерман © 2000
Чернобылей больше не будет

Сегодня в новостях прочитал, что Чернобыль становится заповедной зоной. Как оказалось, отсутствие человека в "зоне отчуждения" поспособствовало быстрому восстановления первозданной природы. Ожидали ли вы, что Чернобыль - сможет стать заповедной зоной, спутя 20 лет после ужасной аварии и экологической катастрофы?

Mankind will always be fascinated by all that is morbid. Vice magazine did a documentary about going there to try and hunt giant radioactive wolves. Obviously it's quite gash and childish but for those curious about the look and feel of Chernobyl, there's some decent footage The Radioactive Beasts of Chernobyl - The Vice Guide to Travel | VBS.TV

I am from Chernihiv (Ukraine), nuclear power plant is located not far from my town (about 100 km). People who live in Chernigov lucky, because after the accident at Chernobyl, the wind was north ... and suffered more Belarus then we.
Although Chernobyl is located not far from my city, I do not want to go there on tour)

Apparently a day tour to the village that was near the nuclear plant costs USD 1000.

For me it cost 50 USD.)