Hi RationalRevolution:

___It was not just one operator but the entire system and the entire control room that was running this stupid coast down test. They were actually trying to power the reactor feed pumps off I would assume the UAT’s on coast down of the Main Generator? One of their Nuclear Science lead’s said a TMI could never happen in the Soviet Union back in 1984 (2 years before Chernobyl) because of their (the Soviet’s) superior technology. Unfortunately, Soviet designed Graphite moderated cores had positive reactivity added when the control rods were inserted for the first few fractions of a meter, they had a huge amount of positive reactivity added when steam voids appeared in the flow channels, and below 20% power, they were unstable as all hell. Add in no containment structure and it’s a wonder they didn’t do this long before Chernobyl. I read a great report from Argonne on it just last week. Some of my earlier diatribe from above is correct but they high lighted some details I hadn’t ever heard of before. If I can get it in electronic format, I can post it here … Those poor bastard fire fighters didn’t stand a chance

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net