[geeks] electric power [was: [rescue] Need Build Help]

[Phil Stracchino]

On 06/04/14 20:57, Sandwich Maker wrote:
> " Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2014 19:22:30 -0400
> " From: Nick B <nick at pelagiris.org>
> " 
> " Yes, we need breeders.  And yes, we need non-first gen designs.  Sadly our
> " current administration has made it pretty plain that we will get nothing,
> " and we will like it.
> 
> i'm not sure we could manage even improved designs with adequate
> safety, though.  but i'd like to see them reopen hanford and prove me
> wrong.

Improved uranium/plutonium designs are always going to be problematic.
Thorium designs are different - you have to take positive action to keep
the chain reaction going.  They basically inherently fail safe,
especially molten-salt reactors.  Left to itself, the chain reaction
will fizzle out on its own as neutron-absorbing isotopes build up in the
core.  The reason our entire nuclear industry is based around uranium
and plutonium is not because uranium reactors are safer or easier than
thorium - it's because you can't mass-produce weapons-grade uranium or
plutonium in a thorium fuel cycle reactor, and the Pentagon wanted all
the 239Pu it could get its hands on.  You do technically get a small
amount of weapons-usable 233U produced in a thorium cycle reactor, but
you can't separate it from the 232U without enormous difficulty and
expense, and 233U doesn't make good bombs anyway.

The US does not have a nuclear *power* program, and never did.  What the
US has is a nuclear *weapons* program that produces electrical power as
a side-effect.  *India* is building out a nuclear *power* program.


-- 
  Phil Stracchino
  Babylon Communications
  phils at caerllewys.net
  phil at co.ordinate.org
  Landline: 603.293.8485