Nuclear Plant struck????

[johnnyhandsome]

Are there any science experts on this board??
What if the nuclear plant in Pickering was blown up by terrorists??
How far of an area would be affected?? The jetstream wind usually blows from North to Northwest, does this mean that we(Toronto) would not be affected??
I think the terrorists would probably wait for favorable wind conditions (south wind) to blow it to smithereens.
I've got my little iodine pills ready!!
Also remember that we would also have an instant long-term power outage across the Ontario if this happened.

 

[incognito]

If pickering was to be blow up by terrorists, the blast radius would encompass pretty much all of T.O. and we'd all be burned to a crisp and our shadows would be etched on the walls forever.
JMHO. I'm not a scientist but the A bomb that was dropped on Japan had significant damage upto 5 - 6 Km away from ground zero and that was only a 1 megaton bomb. Now, If all 6 reactors in Pickering were to blow up...i shudder to think what might be.

Incognito

 

[loaded]

wrong

I am no nucleur scientist, but I do know that a dinamite stick and nucleur material do not constitute a nucleur weapon. We would be in trouble if it where that easy.

 

[wevildoer]

If pickering was to be blow up by terrorists, the blast radius would encompass pretty much all of T.O. and we'd all be burned to a crisp and our shadows would be etched on the walls forever.
JMHO. I'm not a scientist but the A bomb that was dropped on Japan had significant damage upto 5 - 6 Km away from ground zero and that was only a 1 megaton bomb. Now, If all 6 reactors in Pickering were to blow up...i shudder to think what might be.

Incognito

Unknot your panties!

Nuclear plants utilize radioactive uranium to heat water to generate steam to drive generators that create electricity, that's about the only similarity they have with a nuclear bomb. Everything from the processing of the uranium (Canadian designs don't use enriched uranium), the physical form in which the uranium is held (in long tubes) and the mechanical process by which it is controlled is designed to have the fission process take place over a long period of time, not in an instant like an atomic bomb.

To create a nuclear bomb, you need enriched uranium to achieve critical mass. Even if you took the uranium out of a Canadian reactor, you'd need to refine it to get it to a point where you could create a bomb. So, even if you flew a plane into Pickering, the plant would not explode.

Of course, there is a significant chance of a containment breach where nuclear contaminants might be leaked into the atmosphere and environment. While this would be a very serious situation, it's a completely different type of disaster than an atomic bomb.

Next time you're stuck on the 401 wondering if you'll ever get past Oshawa, take a right and visit the plant. It's free.

Wevildoer

 

[johnnyhandsome]

Cool!! I didnt know it was free.
Also remember that plenty of japanese that were right at ground zero survived the nuclear bomb when it was dropped. Some even made it well into their 80's so you never know really.

 

[loaded]

plenty of japanese that were right at ground zero survived the nuclear bomb when it was dropped. Some even made it well into their 80's so you never know really.

Don't mean to be insulting; Are you American ??

 

[incognito]

Unknot your panties!

Nuclear plants utilize radioactive uranium to heat water to generate steam to drive generators that create electricity, that's about the only similarity they have with a nuclear bomb. Everything from the processing of the uranium (Canadian designs don't use enriched uranium), the physical form in which the uranium is held (in long tubes) and the mechanical process by which it is controlled is designed to have the fission process take place over a long period of time, not in an instant like an atomic bomb.

To create a nuclear bomb, you need enriched uranium to achieve critical mass. Even if you took the uranium out of a Canadian reactor, you'd need to refine it to get it to a point where you could create a bomb. So, even if you flew a plane into Pickering, the plant would not explode.

Of course, there is a significant chance of a containment breach where nuclear contaminants might be leaked into the atmosphere and environment. While this would be a very serious situation, it's a completely different type of disaster than an atomic bomb.

Next time you're stuck on the 401 wondering if you'll ever get past Oshawa, take a right and visit the plant. It's free.

Wevildoer

You are absoloutly right and i appologize for my ignorant statement. I am now proceeding to unknot my panites as you call it. BTW, are U a nuclear phisysist (oops, i can't spel). I was just thinking about Chernobly (again, bad spelling) and although it did not explode like a bomb, the fall out was probably more devastating on an enviromental stand point. Thank you for pointing out my mistake.

Incognito

<\not trying to be sarcastic>

 

[johnnyhandsome]

Don't mean to be insulting; Are you American ??

You're the second person to insinuate that I'm a yank.
No, I'm not and whatever gave you that idea???

 

[KBear]

If pickering was to be blow up by terrorists, the blast radius would encompass pretty much all of T.O. and we'd all be burned to a crisp and our shadows would be etched on the walls forever.
JMHO. I'm not a scientist but the A bomb that was dropped on Japan had significant damage upto 5 - 6 Km away from ground zero and that was only a 1 megaton bomb. Now, If all 6 reactors in Pickering were to blow up...i shudder to think what might be.

Incognito

The bombs dropped in Japan where only 12 & 20 Kilotons, a long way from a megaton. Things could be much worse then you realize...

 

[loaded]

You're the second person to insinuate that I'm a yank.
No, I'm not and whatever gave you that idea???

It sounded as if you were trying to justify (or lessen the trajedy) the dropping of the bombs by stating that some people survived. I guess the Japs should be thankfull

 

[johnnyhandsome]

It sounded as if you were trying to justify (or lessen the trajedy) the dropping of the bombs by stating that some people survived. I guess the Japs should be thankfull

Whatever

 

[incognito]

The bombs dropped in Japan where only 12 & 20 Kilotons, a long way from a megaton. Things could be much worse then you realize...

OOPS again...my memory is fading due to old age (almost 30)

 

[johnnyhandsome]

It's kinda stupid to build such a plant right next to a big city like TO. WTF were they thinking??

 

[scubadoo]

It's kinda stupid to build such a plant right next to a big city like TO. WTF were they thinking??

Probably to keep costs low for transmission of the power from the plant to the largest city would be my guess.

 

[galt]

ok first, let's distinquish between a nuclear and an atomic bomb. An atomic bomb uses fission for it's power whereas a nuclear bomb uses fusion. Big difference. In both cases critical mass must be reached in order to create a self sustaining and growing atomic chain reaction. Basically this chain reaction is atoms of uranium colliding with each other and with neutrons so violently that they split. When they split additional netrons are freed and enter into the reaction splitting even more atoms. As each atom splits a small amount of the mass of the atom is destroyed. Generally speaking the amount of mass in the universe is finite and fixed. When mass is destroyed a huge amount of energy is released. (E=mc squared) so even when a small amount of mass is destroyed the amount of energy is incredible (take the m and multiply it the speed of light to the power of two)

In order to do this, not only is the uranium enriched it actually has to be shaped into a sphere. This in itself is no small feat of engineering. The sphere is then surrounded by a number of perfectly placed charges that must detonate at exactly the same time in order to compress the sphere evenly. As it compresses it acheives critical mass and atoms begin coliding with each other. KABOOM you have an atomic bomb. In a nuclear bomb, as the atomic reaction begins that causes the explosion, a certain amount of tritium is introduced into the reaction at just the right time. This tritium introduces hydrogen atoms into the reaction. By this point in time the reaction is so hot that hydrogen atoms fuse together releasing amounts of energy that dwarf that of the atomic reaction. you not only get a KABOOM, you get an earth shattering KABOOM!!! a nuclear explosion. So, in essence a nuclear bomb actually needs an initial atomic explosion to take the leap to going nuclear.

The likelihood of all of these highly engineered and perfectly orchestrated events occuring as a result of a random explosion are probably more unlikely than us finding life on the sun

With regard to a terrorist attack on Pickering or Darlington even a plane flying into them would not likely cause a containment breach. The actual reactor cores are encased in concrete and housed inside their own containment buildings that are actually over engineered to withstand major explosions and earthquakes. Several feet of reenforced concreate inside several feet of reenforced concrete.

Furthermore. another structure known as a vaccum building is connected to each of the reactors by a pressure relief duct (PRD) that, in Pickering's case runs the entire length of the back ofthe plant. In the event of a problem in any of the reactors, the PRD can be opened and the resulting low pressure virtually sucks all of the radioactive material out of the reactor having the problem into the vaccum building.

I would think that the biggest risk of a terrorist attack at Pickering or Darlington would come from the inside from an operator at the reactor controls pulling out some control rods and somehow manually overiding the failsafes. I who knows if this is even possible for a single person to do and not be detected.

Is it impossible for the system to fail? I'm sure that it is but even though I live reasonably close to the plant I think that the liklihood of an actual attack is pretty small. I don't lose sleep over it.

 

[incognito]

There you have it citizens...

GD...you a smart MoFo.

 

[Jacques_Offe]

for what it is worth

BTW the are only two pounds of tritium in the entire world, most of it diluted in ocean water.

the spheres are also coated with beryllium....no easy feat...requires a high vacuum chamber to get an even coat.

 

[johnnyhandsome]

You really know your shit, Galt

 

[johnnyhandsome]

So it sounds like a terrorist attack on a nuclear plant is very unlikely to cause mass casualties. I have also looked into dirty bombs and suitcase nukes but they only have a small range (about 1-2 miles) so they are also not very effective terror weapons. Come to think of it the terrorists aint got fukc all, really.
The only ones that concern me a bit is Smallpox or Ebola

 

[Mack Bolan]

We have a different type of Nuclear power system. It wouldn't blow up like a bomb. The best the bad guys could hope for is a posion cloud caused by the steam.

I'm more worried about the plant being built on a FAULT line.
A serious earthquake would truely make for a bad day for those driving into work that morning.

Regards

Mack