tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post8701694124867392582..comments2024-01-13T18:57:18.243-05:00Comments on Information Processing: Pebble bed reactorsSteve Hsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02428333897272913660noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-15985557727491126622011-03-30T04:37:50.263-04:002011-03-30T04:37:50.263-04:00Quick summary of new reactor types:
http://spectru...Quick summary of new reactor types:<br />http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/nuclear-reactor-renaissance<br />Google Tech Talk on thorium reactors<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHs2Ugxo7-8<br />Gigawatts from hydrothermal vents?<br />http://www.powermag.com/issues/features/Tapping-seafloor-volcanic-vents_128.htmlJayceenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-46968575934833895992011-03-27T19:26:33.790-04:002011-03-27T19:26:33.790-04:00The Chinese seem to be taking a slow and cautious ...The Chinese seem to be taking a slow and cautious route with this. Let's hope that if they decide to proceed with rolling these out it will be because they've solved the safety issues.steve hsuhttp://duende.uoregon.edu/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-54582070329266342332011-03-27T16:14:05.384-04:002011-03-27T16:14:05.384-04:00"It would be very sweet to have a reactor tha..."It would be very sweet to have a reactor that self-regulates its temperature in event of catastrophe."<br />See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_High_Temperature_Reactor : A 300 MW pebble reactor in production use from 1987 to 1989 near my home town in Germany. Never running without problems, one incident of release of radioactive aerosols into the environment, finally driving the sunnynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-9499264605008894982011-03-27T15:20:47.703-04:002011-03-27T15:20:47.703-04:00The art of industrial scale isn't how much the...The art of industrial scale isn't how much the first ones cost, but how much the last ones cost.Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-78083783596902905522011-03-27T11:31:04.468-04:002011-03-27T11:31:04.468-04:00Eh, more then politics, I think the last line of t...Eh, more then politics, I think the last line of the NYTs article gives the reason while these things are unlikely to be built on a large scale. They're expensive, while plants using coal are cheap. If your sitting on a billion dollars you want to invest in power-generation, your probable return is a lot better if you just throw up another couple coal-fired plants.simplicionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-72667882840309839882011-03-27T10:52:30.348-04:002011-03-27T10:52:30.348-04:00The essence of that, though, is that at 2900F it&#...The essence of that, though, is that at 2900F it's still impregnated in the graphite balls, not aerosolized. Getting into the air is what makes it dangerous. The structure may collapse on it, but it doesn't materially change its safety margin.<br /><br />I do agree about the politics. Big business is interested in the current big regulations. It's going to take a revolution Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-14568803634902327182011-03-27T09:47:33.816-04:002011-03-27T09:47:33.816-04:00However, 2900F is above the melting point of steel...However, 2900F is above the melting point of steel.<br /><br />Anyway, the technology is irrelevant. It's the politics that count. And the politics means that nuclear power is dead. There is only fossil fuels.Sykes 1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880610.post-13480180864606722512011-03-27T03:49:25.111-04:002011-03-27T03:49:25.111-04:00The S Africans also lead the world in coal to oil....The S Africans also lead the world in coal to oil.Shaka_Zulunoreply@blogger.com