molson_golden2002 Posted November 12, 2008 Posted November 12, 2008 Nuclear power plants smaller than a garden shed and able to power 20,000 homes will be on sale within five years, say scientists at Los Alamos, the US government laboratory which developed the first atomic bomb. The miniature reactors will be factory-sealed, contain no weapons-grade material, have no moving parts and will be nearly impossible to steal because they will be encased in concrete and buried underground. The US government has licensed the technology to Hyperion, a New Mexico-based company which said last week that it has taken its first firm orders and plans to start mass production within five years. 'Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world,' said John Deal, chief executive of Hyperion. 'They will cost approximately $25m [£13m] each. For a community with 10,000 households, that is a very affordable $2,500 per home.' Deal claims to have more than 100 firm orders, largely from the oil and electricity industries, but says the company is also targeting developing countries and isolated communities. 'It's leapfrog technology,' he said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008...tors-los-alamos
swede316 Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 Why not?...The Navy has been powering submarines and aircraft carriers with it since the 50's. It's safe and clean. The less oil we use for electrical power and heating the better.
molson_golden2002 Posted November 14, 2008 Author Posted November 14, 2008 Why not?...The Navy has been powering submarines and aircraft carriers with it since the 50's. It's safe and clean. The less oil we use for electrical power and heating the better. It sure does look like a great idea
The Big Cat Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 It sure does look like a great idea Do you think they accept American Express?
Steely Dan Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 My only questions are that if it were to fail how much damage could it do? If somebody decided to crack it open how far would the radiation spread?
molson_golden2002 Posted November 14, 2008 Author Posted November 14, 2008 My only questions are that if it were to fail how much damage could it do? If somebody decided to crack it open how far would the radiation spread? See, to me that's not a problem but something I'd like to see happen Just the thought of scaring my neighbors by telling them that I smell radiation in the air would be worth the price of admission.
RI Bills Fan Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008...tors-los-alamos No moving parts? That raises a whole crapload of questions in my mind. Like do the people who wrote the article understand how electricity is generated in a Nuclear Power Plant? Hint: Think Fulton's Folly on Steroids.
DC Tom Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 No moving parts? That raises a whole crapload of questions in my mind. Like do the people who wrote the article understand how electricity is generated in a Nuclear Power Plant? Hint: Think Fulton's Folly on Steroids. Unless they're using thermocouples. Like they use on interplanetary probes. Where you need sixty pounds of plutonium to power a flashlight. But not to worry; I have it on Gene Frenkle's excellent authority that the sheer audacity of hope can trump any and all reality.
elegantelliotoffen Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 No moving parts? That raises a whole crapload of questions in my mind. Like do the people who wrote the article understand how electricity is generated in a Nuclear Power Plant? Hint: Think Fulton's Folly on Steroids. I 100% agree with your sentiment! From here on out everyone should assume that any and all of RI Bills Fans posts have been endorsed by the Elegant One and vice versa.
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