Mar
10
Nuclear Progress in the Face of Overwhelming Odds
March 10, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is 35 years old. Over those 35 years the NRC has not certified any new reactor types. Not One. Today, only four designs can be referenced for applications to build and operate a nuclear power plant. They are:
1. Advanced Boiling Water Reactor design by GE Nuclear Energy last updated [...]
Feb
24
Another Nuke To Burn Used Fuel
February 24, 2010 | 3 Comments
Or technology can be in the wrong hands.
Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold, old pals at Microsoft are going after nuclear power. I’m not surprised. We had a look last year followed by the PR folks of Mr. Myhrvold shopping for more postings here about TerraPower. Publicity can be hard to get when you have the [...]
Dec
28
Thorium Fuel Gets a Break in The Press
December 28, 2009 | 2 Comments
While lots of folks don’t watch or read Wired Magazine, lots of young people do. Wired runs to the younger set, which is getting older, and more of a voice as the last election made clear. Once riled up, the count and solidity of the demographic is impressive.
Richard Martin of Wired wrote ‘Uranium Is So [...]
Nov
20
US Team Sets Uranium Fuel Energy Release Record
November 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) scientists are working with Babcock and Wilcox Inc., General Atomics, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to establish standards and procedures for the manufacture of commercial-scale new uranium fuels. The team has set a new world record with next-generation particle fuel (aka fuel pellets) for use in high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs).
The [...]
Nov
5
Here Come the Japanese Nuclear Reactors
November 5, 2009 | 2 Comments
Making the latest news is the new design from Toshiba is the 4S. The four ‘S’s are for super, safe, small and simple. The design is such that the tendency to call sealed reactors batteries applies as well.
The technical specifications for the 4S reactor are unique in the nuclear industry. The actual reactor would be [...]
Nov
4
Assembling a Nuclear Boom
November 4, 2009 | 3 Comments
Rod Adams at Atomic Insights Blog is a not to be missed weekly stop for this writer. Mr. Adams is located close to the regulatory action, conferences and has the experience and background to make sense of it all with his gift of communicating to the informed masses – that’s us. He recently made ammo [...]
Nov
2
Burn that Nuclear Waste
November 2, 2009 | Leave a Comment
The more energy pulled out of uranium fuels the less radioactive waste remains at the end. That fact has been on the minds of many in science and business for decades.
Nuclear experts say the proposed Advanced Recycling Center (ARC) could help to solve the biggest radioactive waste concerns as the world atomic power industry looks [...]
Oct
23
Some People Do Make a Big Difference
October 23, 2009 | 3 Comments
One such ‘Big Difference’ person is Charles Barton who writes about nuclear energy at the Nuclear Green Blog. By some wee bit of astonishment Mr. Barton has engaged Jesse Jenkins, the Director of Energy and Climate Policy of the The Breakthrough Institute, an active Energy/Environment Blogger, and an active participant on the Energy Collective, in [...]
Oct
12
A Battery With a Million Times More Energy Than Chemical Batteries
October 12, 2009 | 1 Comment
University of Missouri researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient. Before you freak out, Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU says, “People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous. However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety [...]
Sep
29
The Latest Nuclear Disaster
September 29, 2009 | 1 Comment
The U.S. is facing a nuclear disaster well underway and threatening to get much worse. It’s personnel leaving the field, and it’s a horrifying nightmare. Skills for oversight and regulatory issues, safety and new develpoments are disappearing.
Christopher Kouts, is acting director of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management at the Department of Energy. The [...]
