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Thread: “Safe” Fission Reactor Design Is Continuing

  1. #1
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    “Safe” Fission Reactor Design Is Continuing

    I can’t represent I understand the engineering of the concept below, but offer it for the purpose of showing that nuclear energy designs are still being pursued. I leave it to others to critique —

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesco.../#7831f6f22c5c
    ...............
    “You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.” — Too fundamental to have an attribution


  2. #2
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    I am all for further study in all areas of nuclear energy.

    The one described in the article as being liquid sodium cooled is interesting to me. While studying nuclear power in college my class took a field trip to the Detroit Edison Enrico Fermi reactor. At the time it was shut down for "repairs". The core (before they got close to full power) overheated and was shut down. As it turned out, an undocumented modification had been made to the base of the core. The metal baffle that had been added, supposedly to more evenly distribute the coolant entering the core broke loose and blocked a number of tubes.

    When we were there they had completed the repairs to the core and were beginning the refueling. As I recall they never got it to full power after the restart and it was again shut down and subsequently decommissioned.

    The point of me saying that is to convey my support of further nuclear power---but be fully respectful of our failures and the need to avoid another. Just for the record, three years after graduation I worked on Three Mile Island Unit II---Unit one is the one that had the melt down.

    The long term goal has to be fusion.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  3. #3
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    France drops its development of sodium-cooled nuclear reactor after years of efforts —
    https://business.financialpost.com/p...uclear-reactor
    ...............
    “You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.” — Too fundamental to have an attribution


  4. #4
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    I think it is a flawed design as well. The advantages of the higher temperatures that can be used do not outweigh the risks.

    It is a bit sad for me to say, that of all the nuclear plants I worked on, only one remains in operation
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  5. #5
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    We have a nuclear reactor at the University of Utah, but we're not supposed to talk about it. But, it has been documented in publications, so we're O.K.

    Frankly, I'm surprised we aren't further along with fission reactors. Maybe this one posted by Joe will get us over the top.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead

  6. #6
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    I'd be interested in knowing what the enrollment in those classes have been since 1975. I suspect there is diminished interest these days.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  7. #7
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    I was surprised to learn there are 99 nuclear reactors still active in the U.S.
    ...............
    “You can vote your way into socialism, but you have to shoot your way out.” — Too fundamental to have an attribution


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