charnobyl is somehow reactivating

[coppercone2]

I thought this was interesting

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2277195-nuclear-reactions-at-chernobyl-are-spiking-in-an-inaccessible-chamber/

I thought that stuff was alot more stable then it is. A 40 percent increase in radiation over 5 years is alarming IMO, after 40 years. It seems that it can effect fukushima also.

[nctnico]

According to the article not much is going on and there is no need to be alarmed about it.

[Fraser]

From what I have read on the topic, there is a problem with some radioactive material located in a room that cannot be accessed. Fission is apparently occurring  The significant issue is the inability to access it to deal with the matter. The experts are concerned about it but currently monitoring the situation. Radiation breaks down materials, including concrete so having an increasing source of radiation located within the structure is likely not great news. No mentions of a ‘melt down’ event but I believe there was concern over how best to deal with this inaccessible problem that is not going to just ‘go away’.  Chernobyl does not intend to ‘go quietly’..... the Beast lives !

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9570439/Nuclear-reactions-smouldering-like-embers-barbecue-Chernobyl.html

The experts clearly know how to quench the fission reactions....... if they can get to the area that contains them. The use of robots is mentioned but the challenge of getting to the ‘Hot’ area is not fully understood yet. Remote excavation or drilling into an unknown situation must be challenging.

On a side note, with regard to robots used at the Chernobyl site, I was very interested in the ability of such robots to operate in highly radioactive environs. The robots really took a beating and, from what I recall, the technology of the day was not up to the task and the robots regularly failed. I wonder how far such hostile environment robots have come since those early days learning of their limitations in radioactive environs. Electronics seem very vulnerable to damage and even hydraulic or pneumatic based robots suffered severe degradation of materials and failed. A significant lesson to mankind in the challenges of working in highly radioactive conditions as such had not really been experienced previously. Fukushima caused similar challenges but hopefully the robot hardening has been improved to cope with all but the most extreme of radioactive environments. I am no scientist but when radiation effectively rips apart the material from which your robot is made at the atomic level, life gets ‘interesting’ for the designers.

[nctnico]

Well, without having an exact number of how much radiation there is in relation to what is considered a dangerous level, there is nothing newsworthy here. Sounds more like scientists needing another round of funding for expensive toys. IF radiation levels would be on their way to reaching dangerous levels, it would be much bigger news and the article would have stated that.

[Fraser]

But Chernobyl taught us some important lessons and continues to do so, as will Fukushima. One important lesson is apathy can come back to bite you....badly ! Whilst I agree that if the situation were dire, it would be bigger news, but clearly the Scientists monitoring the Chernobyl site are aware of a currently uninvestigated event occurring in an inaccessible area. Anyone would be suitably cautious when they do not have all the facts upon which to plan a response. The idea that the ‘new’ waterproof cover over the reactor building may actually be causing increased neutron emissions as the building dries out is certainly a valuable lesson. You may be right and this is a non story.... but imagine if the scientists stayed silent or ignored the matter and there was an ‘incident’. Those guys would get roasted on the spit of public opinion ! By advising of the situation, they spread knowledge.... not panic. Such is to be lauded as a positive attitude rather than the old Soviet attitude of covering up any ‘issues’ in case they reflected badly upon the ‘management’.

[G7PSK]

From what I read they do not plan to use robots. The thinking is to drill into the remains and pump neutron absorbing liquids into it.

[Fraser]

From the NS article......

“ Hyatt says that the situation is “cause for concern but not alarm”, but that if the rate of neutron production continues to increase, researchers may need to intervene. This could involve drilling into the room and spraying it with a fluid containing a substance such as gadolinium nitrate, which would soak up excess neutrons and choke the fission reaction.

Maxim Saveliev worked on more recent confinement of Chernobyl and later joined the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He says that precise monitoring is difficult because there is no neutron sensor near the room in question, and scientists have no idea what material lies between their sensors and the melted fuel, making it hard to predict the exact scale of the problem. “We have only assumptions,” he says.

Saveliev says that robots should be used to get as close as possible to room 305/2 to install neutron and temperature sensors and, if possible, take samples of the lava-like material and install a solid neutron absorber, such as gadolinium in metal form.”

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2277195-nuclear-reactions-at-chernobyl-are-spiking-in-an-inaccessible-chamber/#ixzz6vE2DZ5kj

[amyk]

I remember reading that they used vacuum tubes for radiation-resistant control electronics.