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Chernobyl Disaster …
Chernobyl Disaster 
What happened?
On the 26th of April, a routine reactor systems test was conducted on Unit 4 of the Nuclear Power Station at Chernobyl, Ukraine.
It is believed that close to 20,000 people were evacuated/relocated as a result of the disaster at Chernobyl.
To perform the test the operator needed to shut down the reactor and insert control rods into the reactor. However, the unstable condition of the reactor and the poor design of the control rods ignited a power surge. The power surge caused a steam explosion and fire that destroyed the Unit 4 reactor of the Nuclear Power Station at Chernobyl. A couple of seconds later a second explosion occured at the Nuclear Power Station.
Large amounts of radioactive materials was released into the environment, affecting several parts in Europe as a result of the fire and explosion that erupted at Chernobyl.
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During the first three months after the explosion occured, 28 firemen and emergency clean-up workers died as a result of Acute Radiation Sickness and one individual died of cardiac arrest.
Why did it happen?
The disaster was a result of a combination of human error caused by inadequate training and breach of protocol as well as poor reactor design.
Flawed reactor design
Unsafe location of control rods, non-existent containment structure.
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With an increase in temperatuire and air entering the reactor core, this caused the graphite blocks used as a moderating material in the reactor to catch fire.
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System parts
RBMK nuclear reactor
Fuel rod
Formed using slightly enriched uranium pellets that are packed in a zircaloy tube that is 3.65 metres long.
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Fuel channels are isolated, so uranium can be refuelled while the reactor is operating.
Pressure tubes
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Designed to cool down fuel temperature from the fuel assesmbly by allowing cool light water to flow through from the pressure tubes.
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Control rods
Boron Carbide is used to make the control rods and helps absorb neutrons which controls the reactors rate of fission.
There are several types of control rods that can be placed into certain depth inside the core. This includes automatic, manual and emergency.
Coolant/steam seperator
It's purpose is to keep the fuel cool, spin plant's turbines and boil steam.
Operates in two loops that contain two steam drums. This produces electricity in the generator as steam from the heated coolant is passed to the turbine. The steam passed to the turbine then changes to a coolant as it is condensed.
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Design failures
Flawed reactor design
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With an increase in temperatuire and air entering the reactor core, this caused the graphite blocks used as a moderating material in the reactor to catch fire.
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System life cycle
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Commissioning
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Operator of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant's (Sauezm) budget for safety tests, nuclear plant reactor designs, and regular maintenance.
Maintenance
Ensure nuclear plants structure, systems and components function correclty.
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Issues related to people, workplaces, and management
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Source that supplies electricity is destroyed thus impacting surrounding areas to be able to have electricity.