A Cleaner Fuel?

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Sat, 2008-11-22 03:43

A Cleaner Fuel?

Is Hyperion's mini nuclear reactor a way toward a cleaner tomorrow?
A "battery" as the firm calls it which has no moving parts, is self-regulating and so can be buried in the ground for at least 5 years until the fuel needs replacing. It is claimed that it will be only slightly larger than than a hot-tub and could supply thermal energy at a rate of about 70 MW. which could be converted into about 27 MW of electricity -
enough to supply up to around 25,000 homes, all for about 25 million dollars (so about 1,000 dollars per home).
http://www.hyperionpowergeneration.com/

Makes me wonder if these "batteries" are to be used if it wouldn't be better to build towns heated by such batteries as it seems wasteful to convert heat into electricity and then convert it back into heat for hot water and central heating. The basic cost of about $200 dollars a year per household for power, heating and hot water would probably at least double by the time the infra-strucure maintainance, running costs etc. is factored in but it still seems like a bargain if you're willing to go nuclear.

Mind you it would be best to have at least 2 so there is a backup and to maintain power while the fuel is being replaced in the other but then, in practice, batteries do usually come in pairs :O)

So what do you think?

Wed, 2008-12-03 08:58

mykle

The French Government seized control of Britain’s nuclear industry (25th September) in a £12.5 billion deal that promises to transform the way electricity is produced in Britain. EDF wants to build four giant new nuclear reactors on two sites currently owned by British Energy: Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. They will each generate 1.6 gigawatts of power and be built to a French design using so-called EPR technology. EDF’s 58 French reactors generate more than 80 per cent of France’s electricity supplies. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilitie... Today (Dec 3) Electricite de France SA says it's offering US$4.5 billion to buy half of the nuclear power business of U.S. wholesale power generator Constellation Energy. The state-controlled power company, which pulled out of a full takeover bid for Constellation in October, said Wednesday it had proposed to Constellation's board to take a 50-percent stake in the nuclear operations through a joint venture. EdF said the offer amounts to around $52 per share, calling that a 96-percent premium to a rival $4.7 billion takeover proposal for Constellation by Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. EdF said the offer includes a $1 billion "upfront" cash infusion in Constellation, and an option to sell up to $2 billion of "non-nuclear generation assets" to the French company. http://news.uk.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=11543535 I noticed no-one bothered to respond to my suggestion that mini nuclear reactors might be a cleaner way to go rather than the traditional approach. Like so many fundamentally important issues most people will refrain from thinking about it until they know what to think - wait until the 'experts' decide to discuss it and then choose one of them to parrot in the belief that choosing an opinion is actually thinking. The world is set to be slowly covered in massive nuclear power stations and a proliferation of nuclear reprosessing plant and one day you will scream "How did this happen - nobody told me." The world is going to run on nuclear power and if we don't fight for the greenest designs then we will simply get the cheapest one!

Wed, 2008-12-03 18:16

Salo

That's fascinating (Hyperion). You could imagine that the technology, developed over many years, for nuclear submarines would suit small, modular reactors. It's the only way. France has 80pc nuclear and sellls energy to UK. It's smart of the UK to let them in and ensure that continuity. Also they are to cooperate on nuclear reactor development and sales to the world. In Finland there is about the same nuclear (or less) than the UK.

Wed, 2008-12-03 20:17

mykle

Yes, I like the modular idea too Salo. Also the idea that every 5 years or so Hyperion comes and replaces your mini reactor with a full one taking the old one away to refill it - leaving only a soft ball sized core of radioactive material to be reprocessed. Perhaps the best aspect of the design though is the safety since it is self regulating and shuts down should anything go wrong. I don't think many people are thrilled by the thought of nuclear waste but if you're going to have it this way seems much easier and less complicated than the traditional designs. Perhaps best of all - if and when Nuclear Fusion becomes viable I would expect these mini reactors to be a breeze to decomission.

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