boof (OP) double-posted this 2 weeks ago, 11 minutes later, 2 hours after the original post[^][v]#1,293,045
I remember now why it was so hot so fast: they hit a button that was supposed to stop everything but the button makes rods made out of graphite get lowered ahead of the connected rods of boron carbide that would have stopped everything if it wasn't for the fuckin graphite that has to go first. the graphite rods made the neutrons that are flying around too fast to stick to and split uranium atoms slower, and so the neutrons that are flying around became slower and they split the uranium in much greater amounts because that's how it works -- slower neutrons stick better to uranium atoms and when absorbed, that is unstable and the atom splits.
boof (OP) replied with this 1 week ago, 5 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^][v]#1,293,176
@previous (E)
aha! and so we peel back the onion: why would a button meant to shut down the reactor cause it to speed up instead, we wonder. Because of that cost-cutting design to put the reaction-accelerating graphite rods (referred to as "tips" in the HBO drama) ahead on the same poles that the reaction-halting boron carbide rods are on. Then we wonder, how would such a configuration ever stop the reactor properly as we'd expect when pressing a button meant to stop it? Because it normally would work fine enough. The reactor had been put in a weird unsafe configuration for experimental purposes that made it exceptionally sensitive to getting too hot too fast when the graphite rods got dipped in.
boof (OP) double-posted this 1 week ago, 1 day later, 3 days after the original post[^][v]#1,293,391
the next logical question is: why would they put the reactor in a weird unsafe configuration? The HBO drama puts forth that the operators were mislead by superiors that the design of the reactor was inherently safe and could not possibly be brought to such a catastrophe. The superiors, as political beings, were more concerned with appearances of Soviet technical prowess than giving the operators completely truthful documents. Now the wiki article cites an investigative report, that: "Apparently, there was a widespread view that the conditions under which the positive scram effect would be important would never occur." More generally, there was lack of a good "safety culture".
boof (OP) triple-posted this 1 week ago, 1 day later, 4 days after the original post[^][v]#1,293,612
OK, now let's look at the weird configuration that allowed the graphite rods to cause such a fast building up of heat that the shit blew up. What was weird? A few things were weird.
Anonymous I joined in and replied with this 1 week ago, 11 hours later, 4 days after the original post[^][v]#1,293,657
The main problem was that they had inserted the graphite-tipped boron carbide rods too far into the reactor. Instead of slowing the reaction as this action was supposed to, the graphite super-heated the water and caused a steam explosion.
It's a bit like when you insert your cock balls deep in a man's ass and it goes past his sigmoid colon and dips into the slurry.
Anonymous J joined in and replied with this 1 week ago, 5 hours later, 5 days after the original post[^][v]#1,293,697
@1,293,391 (boof)
The real problem was that 95% of them knew the test had failed and wanted to end it, but there had to be that one guy who "was just following orders" and forced the test to continue so he wouldn't have to make an awkward phone call to his boss in the morning. Well, he sure ate crow!
Anonymous J double-posted this 1 week ago, 5 minutes later, 5 days after the original post[^][v]#1,293,698
@1,293,657 (I)
They had performed the test improperly. And instead of calling it off, a singular bootlicker forced them to continue anyway because of a deadline.