RBMK — Reactor Bolshoy Moshchnosti Kanalnyy (High-Power Channel-Type Reactor)
Soviet-era graphite-moderated, light-water-cooled channel reactor. No containment vessel. Positive void coefficient at low power created dangerous instability — root cause of the Chernobyl disaster. All remaining units are in Russia.
Key Stats
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RBMK — Reactor Bolshoy Moshchnosti Kanalnyy (High-Power Channel-Type Reactor)
Design Overview
Soviet-era graphite-moderated, light-water-cooled channel reactor. No containment vessel. Positive void coefficient at low power created dangerous instability — root cause of the Chernobyl disaster. All remaining units are in Russia.
Key Specifications
Output: 925–1,000 MWe. Graphite moderator, light water coolant. 1,693 fuel channels. Low-enriched uranium fuel.
Who Builds It
Soviet Union (NIKIET design bureau)
Where It's Deployed
Russia (11 units remaining at Leningrad, Smolensk, Kursk sites)
Advantages
On-load refueling. Large power output. Low enrichment requirements.
Disadvantages
No containment. Positive void coefficient. Demonstrated catastrophic failure mode at Chernobyl (1986). Being phased out.
Technology reference note · Second Atomic Age Nuclear Wiki Last updated: 2026-05-10
Sources
- IAEA - Nuclear Power Reactors in the World [UNVERIFIED] — General reference on reactor types, including RBMK.
- World Nuclear Association - RBMK Reactors [UNVERIFIED] — Detailed overview of RBMK design, history, and operational status.
- Wikipedia - RBMK — Comprehensive entry on RBMK reactors, including design and deployment.
- NIKIET - Official Site [UNVERIFIED] — Website of the design bureau responsible for RBMK reactors, providing historical and technical context.
Sources (1)
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