Theoretically and under very special applied conditions a nuclear fission reactor may explode as nuclear bomb

Abstract

This article/presentation describes a theoretical and applied research in nuclear fission reactor systems. It concerns with theoretical approaches and in very special applied cases consideration where a common nuclear fission reactor system may be considered to explode as nuclear bomb. This research gives critical impacts to the design, operation, management and philosophy of nuclear fission reactors systems. It also includes a sensitivity analysis of a particular applied problem concerning the core melting of a nuclear reactor and its deposit to the bottom of reactor vessel. Specifically, in a typical nuclear fission power reactor system of about 1000 MWe, the nuclear core material (corium) in certain cases can be melted and it may deposited in the bottom of nuclear reactor vessel. So, the nuclear criticality conditions are evaluated for a particular example case(s). Assuming an example composition of melted corium of 98 tones of U238 , 1 tone of U235 , 1 tone Pu239 and 25 tones Fe56 (supporting material) in a 5 m diameter of a finite cylindrical nuclear reactor vessel it is found that it may result in nuclear criticality above the unit. This condition corresponds to Supercritical Fast Nuclear Fission Reactor case, which may under certain very special applied conditions to nuclear explode as nuclear bomb.