Questions about nuclear energy

[sketerpot]

How are these things supposed to generate electricity without water and steam? Unless its some kind of uber-radioisotope generator...

They use heat pipes to transfer heat to use with steam turbines (sold separately, some assembly required). The reactor itself is a self-regulating load-following constant-temperature tub of hotness. It can also be used without turbines for industrial heat.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Is there that much half-used nuclear fuel available? Enough to jump-start your fleet of GWe-class LFTR? Americium ingrowth from Pu-241 decay might prove to be an embuggerance and require a harder spectrum, with attendant boost in fissile loading (ISTR >5t/GWe compared to 800 kg) - DOE's existing U233 stock won't stretch too far.

Or are you looking at other sources of fissile, such as ex-military stocks?

Ex-military stocks, of course was something I was thinking of, and final implementation is going to take a bloody while, so we've got some time to work on generating other sources as well.

[Zixinus]

On the note of steam pipes: how possible would it be to take the waste heat generated by the a NPP and use it to heat homes?

[sketerpot]

On the note of steam pipes: how possible would it be to take the waste heat generated by the a NPP and use it to heat homes?

That's called combined heat and power, and it's sometimes feasible, depending on where you put the power plant.

[Modax]

Snip "too good to be true"

They use heat pipes to transfer heat to use with steam turbines (sold separately, some assembly required). The reactor itself is a self-regulating load-following constant-temperature tub of hotness. It can also be used without turbines for industrial heat.

Cool. I'm very glad to be wrong in this case. A reactor such as this will be the perfect power source for my secret underground lair!

No, but seriously: these reactors should definitely shut up the people who keep saying nuclear isn't "cost effective".

[The Duchess of Zeon]

On the note of steam pipes: how possible would it be to take the waste heat generated by the a NPP and use it to heat homes?

Very feasable. I noted that in my original proposal--huge banks of nuclear powerplants which simultaneously produce electrical power, and then use waste heat for desalination, for hydrogen cracking, and for area steam-heating and even cooling (some processes allow you to cool using heat like that rather than electricity)--which are placed inside of major cities. The problem is the political issue with "placed inside of major cities" ; the Soviets however did in fact use waste heat from nukes to heat cities, since they didn't have any retards afraid of having nuclear powerplants nearby, as if this is somehow different from the massive steam-heating plants currently on my college campus, say.

[folti78]

On the note of steam pipes: how possible would it be to take the waste heat generated by the a NPP and use it to heat homes?

Very feasable. I noted that in my original proposal--huge banks of nuclear powerplants which simultaneously produce electrical power, and then use waste heat for desalination, for hydrogen cracking, and for area steam-heating and even cooling (some processes allow you to cool using heat like that rather than electricity)--which are placed inside of major cities. The problem is the political issue with "placed inside of major cities" ; the Soviets however did in fact use waste heat from nukes to heat cities, since they didn't have any retards afraid of having nuclear powerplants nearby, as if this is somehow different from the massive steam-heating plants currently on my college campus, say.

Or they simply used waste heat the same way as they used it with previous fossil firing power plants. A bit of anecdotal evidence but the power stations I saw around here, nearly always had bundles of insulated pipes sneaking their way to nearby panel estates, sometimes over a few kilometres of wasteland.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

That's actually exactly what I meant, forgive me for not being so clear.

[Surlethe]

Looks like someone caught this necro before me. Yes, this thread will find its final resting place in the Library.