drkohler said:
No. Chernobyl type reactors use a completely different technology than "western" type reactors. In theory (simplified), western type reactors are "fail safe", you have to actively enable chain reactions (basically, if you walk away, the chain reactions stop). Chernobyl type reactors work exactly the opposite way, you have to actively control the chain reactions (if you walk away, the chain reactions exponentially increase). |
I know that but that doesn't mean the Russian reactors weren't inferior to western reactors in many ways, the most obvious being a protective shell around the reactor itself to contain a meltdown. Chernobyl was essentially a building with a reactor in it and lacked many safeguards that were available at the time (including an opt-in on the reaction instead of an opt-out).
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