randalleavitt's Feed

Smarter Use of Nuclear Waste

randalleavitt — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:16:00 -0500

W.H. Hannum, G.E. Marsh, G.S. Stanford - Scientific American, 2005 December: Nuclear reactors that use a fast neutron spectrum, and pyrometallurgical processing to recycle fuel, are efficient. Tagged by randalleavitt under Rank: top10, Date: 2005, Author: Hannum W H, Author: Marsh G E, Author: Stanford G S, Title: Smarter Use of Nuclear Waste, Topic: nuclear fission energy,

Purex and Pyro Are Not The Same

randalleavitt — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:59:00 -0400

William H. Hannum, Gerald E. Marsh, and George S. Stanford - : Lists the advantages of the Integrated Fast Nuclear Reactor. This technology is cleaner and more efficient than current reactor designs. A discussion of the Integrated Fast Nuclear Reactor technology, highlighting its reduced poliferation potential, and its efficiency related to uranium consumption. This technology would increase the resulting power output by a factor of one hundred and it essentially solves the problem of storing spent fuel. A comment about how nuclear energy was introduced in the USA to break the coal monopoly is intriguing. Tagged by randalleavitt under Rank: worth reading, Date: unknown, Author: Marsh G E, Author: Hannum W H, Author: Stanford G S, Title: Purex and Pyro Are Not The Same, Topic: nuclear fission energy,

Terrorism and Nuclear Power: What are the Risks?

randalleavitt — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:59:00 -0400

G. E. Marsh and G. S. Stanford - 2001 Nov: A list of ways to attack a nuclear reactor and their worst case outcomes. Conclusion: reactors are safe. This article describes the various ways that an attack could be made on an American nuclear reactor, and the worst case outcomes that we can expect from such disruptions. It is clear that today's reactors with their safety systems and thick containment structures are not a worry. Some slight improvements could be made by using dry containment casks instead of pools to store used once fuel. The biggest worry is the extreme reporting that will take place in the news media as it tries to scare people as much as possible to increase sales. This kind of irresponsible reporting may cause panic and some accidental injuries as a result. A well informed public would be less susceptible to this sort of manipulation. Tagged by randalleavitt under Rank: worth reading, Date: 2001, Author: Stanford G S, Author: Marsh G E, Title: Terrorism and Nuclear Power: What are the Risks?, Topic: nuclear fission energy,

Recycling Nuclear Waste: The Promise of Fast-Neutron Reactors

randalleavitt — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:59:00 -0400

W.H. Hannum, G.E. Marsh, G.S. Stanford - 2006 Mar: Full recycling of fission fuel can provide the energy needed for civilized living and solves the problem of spent fuel disposal. Fast neutron reactors can operate using a closed fuel cycle, which means that they reuse their uranium fuel until all of its energy potential is extracted. This is much better than today's thermal reactors which only utilize one percent of the fuel's potential. Fast reactors can also process military plutonium, making it unsuitable for weapon use. An American demonstration of such a system was halted in 1994, when it was only a few months away from completion. This research should be resumed. Prior to fast reactors, the plan for extending fission fuel involved breeder reactors, and a fuel recycling procedure dubbed "PUREX". This plan required too much handling of dangerous plutonium isotopes. The fast neutron reactor fuel cycle solves this problem. Instead of PUREX, a pyroprocessing technique is used to recondtion used fuel. The pyroprocessing technique separates fission products innefficiently, which is ideal for fast reactor use, and not useful for weapons use. A number of years of operational experience with fast reactors has been developed in various countries. Such reactors are inherently safe, and economical. So there are no technical barriers, other than starting up something new, to prevent the use of this technology. Tagged by randalleavitt under Rank: worth reading, Date: 2006, Author: Stanford G S, Author: Marsh G E, Author: Hannum W H, Title: Recycling Nuclear Waste: The Promise of Fast-Neutron Reac, Topic: nuclear fission energy,