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phyzmatix
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I was reading this "almost-a-real-article" in Popular Mechanics and came across the following extract
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4322757.html
Which, to my layman's ear, sounded absolutely fantastic until I read one of the comments
Now, it seems that http://www.ph.utexas.edu/fogs/symposium/abstracts/mahajan.html should know what he's talking about. However, after Googling "fast breeder reactors" and in the process stumbling across Polywell fusion, all I've managed to do is confuse myself. I understand that this is an inherently complicated subject to start with, but the quagmire of information Google threw at me has left me floundering and completely out of my depth. Could someone dumb this down for me a bit so that I can make sense of it all?
Also, for those of you in the know, what are your opinions on the quoted article? Do you think Mahajan is overly-optimistic or do you think his views are realistic?
Thanks!
phyz
Popular Mechanics said:Researchers at the University of Texas recently unveiled a design for a hybrid fission–fusion reactor, a best-of-both-worlds device that would dispose of the deadliest waste from traditional nuclear power plants while generating power along the way. Most nuclear waste can be reprocessed for use as fuel in standard fission reactors, although that’s not currently the practice in the United States. The hybrid reactor would be a next step. It would employ fusion reactions to flood the remaining, highly dangerous transuranic waste with neutrons, allowing it to be burned in a fission process. One-third of the resulting energy would be fed back into the fusion process and the remaining 700 megawatts would be fed into the grid. According to senior research scientist Swadesh Mahajan, at the end of the process, about 99 percent of all nuclear waste could be eliminated. “What we really want to do is to tell the world, Please allow the expansion of nuclear energy, through standard light-water reactors,” Mahajan says. “It’s the only thing that can be ramped up quickly enough to replace coal. Do not worry about the waste. Because we’re going to give you the solution in 20 years. We will make it in time.”
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4322757.html
Which, to my layman's ear, sounded absolutely fantastic until I read one of the comments
Unknown said:Fast breeder reactors were developed at Argonne National Labs in the 1980's, then de-funded. They are capable of turning 97% of our existing nuclear waste into fissionable fuel--enough fuel to meet all our electricity needs for 300 years. Why not take this tech of the shelf? Because a crisis solved is a crisis wasted. Better to dream up some bone-headed scheme like fusion-zapping, so that billions can be earmarked for a technology that will always be just around the corner.
Now, it seems that http://www.ph.utexas.edu/fogs/symposium/abstracts/mahajan.html should know what he's talking about. However, after Googling "fast breeder reactors" and in the process stumbling across Polywell fusion, all I've managed to do is confuse myself. I understand that this is an inherently complicated subject to start with, but the quagmire of information Google threw at me has left me floundering and completely out of my depth. Could someone dumb this down for me a bit so that I can make sense of it all?
Also, for those of you in the know, what are your opinions on the quoted article? Do you think Mahajan is overly-optimistic or do you think his views are realistic?
Thanks!
phyz
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