Feb
15
Nuclear Remains Key to Low Cost Zero Emission Electricity
February 15, 2022 | Leave a Comment
The Carnegie Institution for Science’s work shows nuclear power would be crucial in helping the world reach a key goal of zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century. The research shows the case is especially true in countries with low wind resources. The study results have been published in Nature Energy by Lei […]
Jun
16
A Safety Improvement For the Pebble Bed Nuclear Reactor
June 16, 2021 | 2 Comments
Texas A&M University researchers have developed a model that can better predict the physical phenomenon inside of very-high-temperature pebble-bed reactors. Reactors have improved exponentially in terms of safety, sustainability and efficiency. Unlike the light-water reactors at Fukushima, which had liquid coolant and uranium fuel, the current generation of reactors has a variety of coolant options, […]
Dec
2
Safer Cheaper Nuclear Fuel Production Worked Out
December 2, 2020 | Leave a Comment
Open Image…Save ImageOpen Image (using #TmpD/ia)… A Los Alamos National Laboratory’s key energy security mission is developing safe and sustainable fuels for nuclear energy. For now uranium dioxide, a radioactive actinide oxide, is the most widely used nuclear fuel in today’s nuclear power plants. But a new “combustion synthesis” process recently established for lanthanide metals – non-radioactive elements that are […]
Nov
26
Learning Why Nuclear Plants Are So Expensive
November 26, 2020 | Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have analyzed the causes of many cost overruns on new nuclear power plants in the US, which have soared in the past 50 years. The findings may help designers of new plants build in resilience to prevent such added costs. Many analysts believe nuclear power will play an essential part […]
May
21
New Way Designed To Recycle Used Nuclear Fuel
May 21, 2020 | 1 Comment
Texas A&M University scientists have developed a new single-step strategy for recycling used nuclear fuel. A typical nuclear reactor uses only a very small fraction of its fuel rod to produce power before the energy-generating reaction naturally terminates. What is left behind is an assortment of radioactive elements, including unused fuel, that are disposed of […]