Scientists are working on micro-nuclear reactors that are so small they can fit on the back of a truck or a standard 40-foot shipping container, explains Christina Nunez writing for the Argonne National Laboratory. Deliberately small, generating up to 20MW, they could provide zero-carbon power in remote settings or supplement electrical power grid recovery. Another idea would be to locate them on remote highways for re-charging long distance … [Read more...]
ANEEL: Thorium-based reactor fuel could revive Nuclear’s fortunes
A public-private consortium backed by the U.S. DoE is developing a new nuclear fuel – a mix of thorium and uranium – that looks like a major advance on the fuels currently in use, says Jim Conca. Called “Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life” (ANEEL), it has a very high fuel burn-up rate (55,000 MWd/T) compared to the usual uranium (7,000 MWd/T). That high burn-up reduces the waste by over 80%. Less spent fuel means less refuelling, less … [Read more...]
More nuclear means more waste disposal: the options, science, engineering
Public concern about nuclear power goes beyond an accident at a live plant. What do we do with the nuclear waste? If nuclear is to grow to become a major replacement for oil and gas the question must be answered. James Conca reviews the different methods that have been seriously considered: shooting it into space, burying it in deep sea trenches or under ice sheets, transmutation, or simply digging it even deeper underground. … [Read more...]
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