DailyDirt: Nuclear Power Making Progress?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

The problems with nuclear power via fission have obviously not been overcome by technology (or politics). European countries have started to back off nuclear power, and the US isn't expanding its nuclear power capacity in the near future. However, nuclear power isn't dead yet. Maybe some people think it should be, but what if someone figures out how to prevent meltdowns and burn nuclear waste as fuel? After you've finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.
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Filed Under: energy, fission, nuclear energy, nuclear meltdown, nuclear power, nuclear waste, pebble bed reactor, shale deposits, traveling wave reactor
Companies: terrapower


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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 22 Feb 2016 @ 5:53pm

    Hope we can hack Chinese nuclear power plants to figure out how to build better fission reactors.......

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Socrates, 22 Feb 2016 @ 6:57pm

    Breeder reactors

    Breeder reactors is nothing new. Interest in breeder reactors declined after the 1960s as more uranium reserves were found, and handling of the waste were delegated to future generations.

    These reactors have been used to make more fuel than they produce, and they have been used to burn transuranics including waste and weapons grade plutonium.

    They make about a hundred times more energy from fuel than the common reactors. (Increased from about 1% to close to 100%.) And makes about 1% of the waste, that is also does not stay as dangerous as long as conventional waste. This is also true if it uses conventional waste as fuel, and thereby reduces the dangerous waste to a fraction.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Socrates, 22 Feb 2016 @ 7:32pm

      s/that is also does/that doesn't/g

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Mark Pawelek, 23 Feb 2016 @ 3:24am

      Re: Breeder reactors

      I think interest in breeder reactors declined because of political opposition from the Carter and Clinton administrations. Breeder reactors were described as proliferation threats, which they never were. Anti-nuclear activists still wrongly believe that plutonium breeders can be used to make nuclear bombs.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Socrates, 22 Feb 2016 @ 7:26pm

    Hodgepodging

    To the extent that Ukraine is a European country, the Kiev regime have fired the naysayers that were critical to hodgepodging nuclear plants. These naysayers jobs were to ensure safe operation of these plants. There have already been several large mishaps, that temporally have caused elevated radiation levels in bordering nations, but it is unknown if this is related to the hodgepodging or something else as the regime never notified or informed about it, at all. One of the most gullible nations on the planet, Norway, have been hoodwinked into assisting them.

    Chernobyl is of Ukraine fame.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mr Big Content, 22 Feb 2016 @ 9:37pm

    You Mis Spelled "Nucular"

    What a Bunch of ILITERATES!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    TechDescartes (profile), 22 Feb 2016 @ 10:38pm

    Time for Plan B

    [T]he NIMBY factor for nuclear waste makes it tough to commit to any long-term storage plans.
    Guess that means Floor63 is off limits.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Socrates, 22 Feb 2016 @ 11:41pm

      [T]he NIMBY factor for nuclear waste makes it tough to commit to any long-term storage plans.
      Guess that means Floor63 is off limits.
      Being on top of things, as usual!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 Feb 2016 @ 5:08am

    Why mess with adding more fission when you've got solar, wind, thermal? They are less expensive and more friendly to the environment.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 23 Feb 2016 @ 7:46am

      Re:

      I believe nuclear is still cleaner than solar when it comes to volume. The process to make solar panels is toxic and then also the disposing of them is a problem. They are becoming popular so hopefully those problems will be solved.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      nasch (profile), 23 Feb 2016 @ 9:37am

      Re:

      Solar and wind are hard to use for base load, and geothermal isn't available everywhere.

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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