Abstract for: System dynamics modeling of neutron flux and reactivity change in the 4th reactor of the Chernobyl Power Plant

The nuclear accident at the Chernobyl power Plant in 1986 was a milestone in the history of nuclear industry. The circumstances and responsibilities have been subject to several investigations. However, it seems that situation is still open. A. Dyatlov the deputy chief engineer of the Plant had been written several pamphlets about the events of the disaster’s night and contested some important technical details. Apparently the main question is the same: whether the decisions and acts of the personnel of Reactor 4 caused the chain of catastrophic events or the main cause lies in the design’s deficiencies. In this working paper a system dynamics model has been constructed to examine the main reasons of the explosion. The model is based on the main differential equations connected with the neutron flux change in the reactor core. This way it can be analyzed, whether the personnel’s interventions had significant impact on the reactor’s response.