Nuclear reactor which produce delayed neutrons have half lives for their decay by neutron emission that range from milliseconds to as long as several minutes, and so considerable time is required to determine exactly when a reactor reaches the critical point. Keeping the reactor in the zone of chain-reactivity where delayed neutrons are "necessary" to achieve a critical mass state allows mechanical devices or human operators to control a chain reaction in "real time"; otherwise the time between achievement of criticality and nuclear meltdown as a result of an exponential power surge from the normal nuclear chain reaction, would be too short
Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant which can prevent release of radioactive material into the environment even in case of serious accident; for example breakage of pipes in the reactor cooling circuit. The reactor cooling circuit is housed in hermetic reinforced concrete boxes that can withstand a force of 4.5 kgf/cm. Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant ( []) is a nuclear power station in Russia. It is located in the Smolensk region, in Desnogorsk province, approximately 100 km from Smolensk, 115 km from Bryansk and 320 km from Moscow. Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant is the biggest nuclear plant in the Nechernozem region of