Nuclear Power is Dangerous - Use with Care

tahanson43206 · 2022-06-09 18:13:34

Here is a rarity ... a TED talk in favor of nuclear power

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-yALPEpV4w

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tahanson43206 · 2022-06-12 21:57:20

I was glad to see this!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/purdue-duke- … 00936.html

The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
Purdue, Duke Energy study could provide blueprint for developing future power source
Andy Knight, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
Sat, June 11, 2022, 6:23 PM
Jun. 11—ANDERSON — With environmental groups continuing to pressure utilities to develop and adopt cleaner and more cost-effective technologies for generating and delivering energy to the nation's power grid, a joint research project based in Indiana may offer a road map for utilizing nuclear energy as part of a "green portfolio."
In late April, Purdue University and Duke Energy announced a plan to jointly explore the feasibility of using nuclear energy to meet long-term energy needs at the university's West Lafayette campus.
The research project focuses on studying power produced through small modular reactors (SMRs), which the International Atomic Energy Agency has indicated are among the most promising technologies when it comes to nuclear power.
"No other option holds as much potential to provide reliable, adequate electric power with zero carbon emissions," Purdue President Mitch Daniels said in a news release.
Although there are no SMRs in commercial production, a design approved last fall by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission could accelerate production, lower costs and improve safety over traditional reactors. Other designs would allow the reactors to be built with the ability to produce between 50 and 300 megawatts of electricity — instead of the nearly 1,000 megawatts generated by traditional nuclear reactors.
"While there are various designs in SMRs, the physics behind the technology is nothing new," said Dr. Seungjin Kim, head of the School of Nuclear Engineering at Purdue and one of the university's lead researchers on the project.
He said the reactors generate heat via nuclear fission, and electricity comes from a conventional power conversion cycle, such as a turbine or a generator. Simpler designs — and thus lower overhead and maintenance costs — along with enhanced passive safety features and similar economic benefits as traditional nuclear power plants are among the most promising aspects of the technology behind SMRs.
Officials at Duke Energy see SMRs as a carbon-free and reliable source of power, which makes researching and developing them an important component in the company's effort to reach a 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation by 2030.
"If you really want to decarbonize and get to net zero, nuclear has to be part of the mix," said Chris Nolan, vice president of nuclear regulatory affairs policy and emergency preparedness for Duke Energy. "The reason is, you can't rely on coal and gas in a net zero environment and really, nuclear is the only dispatchable generation that can provide power at any time."
Nolan noted that solar panels are dependent on sunlight, and windmills are dependent on the wind — "While those sound like redundant statements, they're very profound when you need to provide power to your customers," he said — and the company currently operates 11 nuclear power plants across six sites in North and South Carolina. Those plants generate more than half the electricity used by Duke customers in those states.
The announcement of the Purdue-Duke Energy collaboration came three months after the Indiana Legislature passed a bill that creates a framework for studying SMR technology. Senate Bill 271, signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb in March, provides guidelines for state regulators evaluating SMR projects if utilities decide to build them.
With coal still the state's dominant energy source — albeit declining — and renewables like solar and wind still struggling to win support in many counties, nuclear energy is being touted by some as a logical choice to include in the state's "all-of-the-above" approach to charting its energy future.
Per Indiana law, Duke Energy and other utilities submit updated integrated resource plans to the state every three years. The plans are intended as a 20-year road map, detailing how utilities will meet customer needs and comply with relevant government guidelines for producing and distributing electricity.
Duke's most recent IRP, provided in December 2021, does not mention integrating SMRs or other nuclear power production, but company officials stress that doesn't mean examining the technology isn't a priority.
"In the later years of the plan, we acknowledge that we will need new technology, zero-emitting carbon technology," said Angeline Protogere, a communication consultant with Duke Energy. "SMRs, nuclear, is not part of the integrated resource plan that we submitted, but certainly one of the reasons that we're looking at this is we know that in the later years of our plan, we need to look at zero-emitting technology."
The research project with Purdue — which currently purchases about 50% of its campus electricity from Duke — could also reveal new ideas not only for potentially replacing fossil fuel power plants with SMRs, but also for deploying them to meet energy needs in hard-to-reach rural areas.
"As long as there is pre-existing infrastructure for the power grid, there shouldn't be too many technical challenges," Kim said. "That being said, any desired site should be evaluated for its adequacy for SMRs based on the rigorous criteria set by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, just like all other nuclear power plants."
Follow Andy Knight on Twitter
@Andrew_J_Knight,
or call 765-640-4809.

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tahanson43206 · 2022-11-12 11:59:55

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/u- … 29258.html

Reuters
U.S., Centrus Energy in pact to make next-generation nuclear fuel
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Energy Secretary Granholm speaks at the State Department in Washington
Timothy Gardner
Fri, November 11, 2022 at 12:04 PM
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government and a unit of Centrus Energy Corp have a signed an agreement to start producing fuel expected to be used in next generation nuclear reactors after the process was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Energy said late on Thursday that it and Centrus Energy's American Centrifuge Operating, LLC will share the $150 million cost 50-50 to demonstrate production of a fuel called high assay low enriched uranium, or HALEU.
The contract will enable production at the company's plant in Ohio of 20 kilograms of HALEU, enriched up to 19.75% by the end of 2023, the DOE said. Output is expected to continue in 2024 at 900 kilograms a year, depending on congressional appropriations, with additional options to produce more material under the contract in the future, it said.
“This demonstration shows DOE’s commitment to working with industry partners to kickstart HALEU production at commercial scale to create more clean energy jobs and ensure the benefits of nuclear energy are accessible to all Americans," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a release.
HALEU is expected to be used in reactors in the works by companies including X-energy and TerraPower, that President Joe Biden's administration sees as a critical in cutting carbon emissions to fight climate change.
Critics have warned that many so-called advanced reactors pose risks because they can produce plutonium, a nuclear explosive that militants could try to obtain to make bombs.
Currently the only company selling commercial shipments of HALEU is TENEX, part of Russia's state-owned energy company Rosatom.
The Biden administration projects that more than 40 tonnes of HALEU will be needed before the decade ends, with additional amounts required each year, to deploy reactors to support its goal of reaching 100% clean electricity by 2035.
The United States has struggled to produce commercial HALEU. Washington awarded a shared-cost contract in 2019 to Centrus to build a demonstration facility which was due to start making HALEU this year. Production got pushed back to 2023, partly because of delays in obtaining storage containers due to supply chain issues during the global pandemic, Centrus has said.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by David Gregorio)

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SpaceNut · 2022-11-12 13:05:14

We are talking about uranium-235 isotope containe in a mass after refinement.

https://gain.inl.gov/SiteAssets/HALEU/H … tSheet.pdf

https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/what … nium-haleu

https://www.centrusenergy.com/what-we-d … d-uranium/

https://www.energy.gov/ne/downloads/inf … nium-haleu

kbd512 · 2022-11-12 18:26:49

We've already established that natural Uranium is the lowest cost nuclear material available, so unless there's a pressing need to obtain greater power density from a given reactor core volume, plain old Uranium requires the lowest amount of energy and processing and produces the smallest quantity of radioactive waste. After the Uranium in a reactor has begun fissioning, some of the ejected neutrons are absorbed by the U238 present in natural Uranium, which is most of the natural Uranium, which is then transmuted into Pu239 after two beta decays from Uranium-239 to Neptunium-239 to the old familiar Plutonium-239, which is also fissionable. I forget how long that process actually takes, but I think it's about a week or so, maybe a little more than that.

If there's a process by which neutron poisons and gases can be extracted while the reactor is operating, then near-complete "burn-up" of the fissile inventory within the reactor can be achieved, so little to no fuel reprocessing is required. The only remaining reasons to shut down the reactor are related to radiation damage or repair of pumps and pipes and various other components that wear out over time. If the reactor had dual pumps or valves enabling bypass of certain portions of the primary coolant loop, then most repairs could be completed without shutting down the reactor.

Certain processes could be used to increase overall thermal efficiency, but dumping waste heat into chemical processes that produce hydrocarbon fuels and fertilizers is the most practical and probably the most useful overall. A high temperature gas-cooled reactor could be used to melt down and recycle light alloys (primarily Aluminum and Magnesium) or produce certain kinds of high-strength fibers such CNT (now mostly room temperature chemical processes), or supply process heat for making plastics, or refining oil, or recycling used motor oil. However, all of that requires co-locating a nuclear power plant with a manufacturing plant. I think some sea water desalination has been done at the nuclear power plant, but that's about it.

tahanson43206 · 2022-11-28 10:50:18

The article at the link below is about the process of decommissioning a power plant.

The company doing the work specializes in this dangerous work. They are apparently in line for plenty of work, as the US eliminates first generation plants.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/tear … 07719.html

Interest (to me for sure) is that Texas is the destination for the low level waste. The high level waste will stay where it is now, at the site.

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tahanson43206 · 2022-12-13 18:12:37

The article at the link below is about cooperation between agencies in the US and Ukraine...

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Arti … n-fuels-fr

USA-Ukraine announce cooperation on clean fuels from SMRs
14 November 2022
Ukraine and the USA have announced a project to demonstrate the production of hydrogen and ammonia using small modular reactor (SMR) and innovative electrolysis technologies in Ukraine. The public-private consortium also includes Japanese and South Korean companies.

Kerry announcing the cooperation project at COP27 (Image: John Kerry / Twitter)
The project was announced by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry at the COP27 Climate Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The project, which will run for 2-3 years, involves the work of a public-private consortium on scientific and practical developments for SMRs.
Participating partners from the USA include Argonne National Laboratory, Clark Seed, FuelCell Energy, NuScale and Starfire Energy. On the Ukraine side, participants include nuclear operator Energoatom, the National Security and Defence Council, and the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety.
In addition, Korea's Doosan Energy and Samsung C&T and Japan's IHI Corporation and JGC Corporation will also participate in the consortium.
The project aims to evaluate and demonstrate the technical capability, economic competitiveness, as well as the possibility of production and use of hydrogen and ammonia on an industrial scale from SMRs using solid oxide electrolysis. For this purpose, it is planned to construct a pilot plant and carry out a corresponding technical and economic analysis of its operation.
"Building on existing capacity-building cooperation launched under the US Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of SMR Technology (FIRST) programme, the project seeks to support Ukraine's energy security goals, enable decarbonisation of hard-to-abate energy sectors through clean hydrogen generation, and improve long-term food security through clean ammonia-produced fertilisers," the US Department of State said in a statement. "Further, it aims to demonstrate Ukraine's innovative clean energy leadership through the use of advanced technologies."
"Even during the war, we do not stop in modeling the new energy future of Ukraine," Ukrainian Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko said in a statement. "Carbon-free energy is one of the world's main focuses in technological development. Of course, Ukraine, with our experience and potential in atomic energy, will also take an active part in the implementation of the world agenda."
He added: "The achievements of the international public-private consortium will be used to build, after our victory, a new energy system of Ukraine and will speed up our 'green transition'".
Energoatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NuScale to explore the deployment of its technology in September 2021. In December, the US Trade and Development Agency announced it will support Ukrainian authorities to assess NuScale's small reactor technology, with a view to future exports.
Kerry also announced the USA had launched a new initiative, referred to as Project Phoenix, to accelerate the transition in Europe of coal-fired plants to SMRs while retaining local jobs through workforce retraining. The project, the State Department said, will provide direct US support for coal-to-SMR feasibility studies and related activities in support of energy security goals for countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Researched and written by World Nuclear News

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tahanson43206 · 2023-01-21 15:02:29

The article at the link below is about progress in licensing of an SMR ...

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/u-ap … 11491.html

Reuters
U.S. approves design for NuScale small modular nuclear reactor
Timothy Gardner
Fri, January 20, 2023 at 3:30 PM EST
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. nuclear power regulator has certified the design for the NuScale Power Corp's small modular reactor, the first such approval in the country for the next generation technology.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval, published in the Federal Register late on Thursday, clears a hurdle for NuScale. The company plans to build a demonstration small modular reactor (SMR) power plant at the Idaho National Laboratory. NuScale says the six-reactor, 462 megawatt Carbon Free Power Project will be fully running in 2030.
There are significant questions about rising costs of the demonstration plant, expected to provide electricity to the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). NuScale said this month the target price for power from the plant is $89 per megawatt hour, up 53% from the previous estimate of $58 per MWh.
Backers of next generation reactors including President Joe Biden's administration and many Republican lawmakers, say they are crucial in curbing climate change. NuScale says they will be safer than today's far larger conventional reactors, but the reactors, like conventional nuclear plants, are expected to produce highly toxic waste, for which no permanent fix has been developed.
The U.S. Department of Energy has provided more than $600 million since 2014 to support the design, licensing and siting of NuScale's power plant and other small modular reactors. NuScale and other companies that succeed in building next generation reactors could receive for the first time lucrative production tax credits contained in last year's Inflation Reduction Act signed by Biden.
"SMRs are no longer an abstract concept," said Kathryn Huff, assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the Energy Department. "This is innovation at its finest and we are just getting started here in the U.S."
NuScale also hopes to build SMRs in Romania, Kazakhstan and Poland, despite concerns from nuclear safety experts who say Russia's invasion of Ukraine and occupation of the Zaporizhzhia plant should make the industry think seriously about developing plants in the region. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by David Gregorio)
View comments

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tahanson43206 · 2023-01-23 19:35:49

https://www.yahoo.com/news/small-modula … 00089.html

Here is another view of the recent progress made by NuScale, and reporting of remaining hurdles to overcome.

Costs are rising, and there is a problem with the size of the reactor approved, vs the one to be built.

Close this content, you can also use the Escape key at anytime
Canary Media
A small modular nuclear reactor just got US approval — a big milestone
Eric Wesoff
Mon, January 23, 2023 at 4:39 PM EST
NuScale Power, a pioneer in small nuclear reactors, cleared the ultimate U.S. regulatory hurdle in civilian advanced nuclear last week — and in doing so provided some hope for the long-heralded nuclear renaissance.
In a historic ruling, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission certified the design of NuScale’s 50-megawatt power module, the first small modular reactor and just the seventh reactor design ever approved for use in the U.S.
It’s a big moment: Utilities can now reference NuScale’s small modular reactor design when applying for a license to build and operate a reactor. NuScale and the Department of Energy spent more than a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars getting through this regulatory gate.
Getting small
The scaled-down and reproducible nature of a small modular reactor is a potential solution to the nuclear industry’s long-standing record of cost and schedule overruns. Lowering power output and size theoretically enables small modular and micro solutions that can be constructed less expensively off-site using fewer custom components with lower total project costs.
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Jigar Shah, the director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, spoke about SMRs and building trust between industry and regulators with Marc Bianchi on an episode of Cowen’s Energy Transition Podcast in September. Shah said, “We have to get those EPC [engineering, procurement and construction] contractors to understand that this is different, that the amount of civil works here is far lower than the civil works for an AP 1000,” a widely deployed large-scale nuclear reactor design. “Most of the manufacturing is done in a factory and…the civil works here are 80 percent less for these designs than for a traditional nuclear power campus.”
But even NuScale’s design, a small reactor that bears some resemblance to existing light-water reactors, posed challenges to the approval processes of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). NuScale said back in 2020 that it had spent over $500 million and expended more than 2 million labor hours to compile the information needed for its design-certification application.
Cost targets raised
NuScale’s unprecedented design approval is a good reason for stakeholder celebration — but the company isn’t out of the woods just yet. It’s already had to revise its projected project costs and hit a regulatory snag.
NuScale has an agreement to build a first-of-its-kind 462-megawatt project in Idaho with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), a group of 50 municipal utilities across seven Western states. Higher materials costs, interest rates and inflation have already forced NuScale to raise its projected cost from $58 per megawatt-hour to $89 per megawatt-hour; UAMPS’ project management committee approved the cost increase earlier this month.
Today’s financial landscape is a challenge for every project developer, but nuclear projects have a well-documented history of this type of cost expansion — and this announcement marks a budget increase before a single bucket of dirt has been moved. An analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis recently argued that UAMPS members “should consider backing out of contracts that require them to cover the rising costs of the NuScale SMR” and noted that a “Nevada geothermal proposal has the potential to be a less expensive, more certain option.”
Another challenge is that NuScale’s NRC design approval is for the company’s 50-megawatt module, whereas NuScale plans to use six uprated 77-megawatt modules in the Idaho project. This means there will be additional regulatory churn and intrigue. The NRC is expected to review the uprating application this year. The plant, meanwhile, is slated to begin operation with one module in 2029.
It’s not technology that’s preventing the deployment of new nuclear; it’s cost and regulatory uncertainty. Shirly Rodriguez, advanced reactor lead systems engineer at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, told the Clean Air Task Force in a recent interview, “There are over 72 small modular reactors waiting to be deployed, but we cannot deploy them if we don’t have the regulations to support them.”
Perhaps NuScale will achieve success faster abroad. The company has signed agreements to deploy SMR plants in 12 countries, including Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and Jordan.

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SpaceNut · 2023-01-23 20:07:41

The size while it means more units to deploy the grid is still a problem when storms take out the lines.

tahanson43206 · 2023-01-27 13:50:47

For SpaceNut re #110

So why are lines above the ground?

In communities where power and other lines are buried, storms have no effect.

Here is an item that I find encouraging ...

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/unex … 00240.html

Oilprice.com
In Unexpected Swing, Germany’s Public Now Favors Nuclear Power
Editor OilPrice.com
Wed, January 25, 2023 at 8:00 PM EST
For decades, Germany has maintained a love-hate relationship with nuclear power. Currently, Germany has three existing nuclear reactors that produce ~6% of the country's power supply, a far cry from the 1990s when 19 nuclear power plants produced about a third of the country’s electricity supply.
The genesis of the current state of affairs can be traced back to 1998 when a new center-left government consisting of the Greens party and Social Democrats started demanding that the country moves away from nuclear power, a long-held objective of the Greens. The Greens became prominent in the 1980s after they started rallying against the dangers of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons against the backdrop of the Cold War. Indeed, the last new nuclear plants to be built in Germany date back to 2002 after which plans were put in place to phase out all existing plants over the next few decades.
Stay ahead of the market
However, the tide turned again in 2010 after a coalition of the liberal Free Democratic Party and the conservative Christian Democrats rose to power and extended the use of nuclear energy in Germany by up to 14 years. But alas, the newfound love for nuclear power was not to last: a year later, explosions and meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan soured the public’s mood on nuclear power and forced Germany to do another about-face on this policy. Berlin then returned to the original plan for a nuclear phaseout by the end of 2022.
Related: Exxon Stops Flaring In The Permian, Urges Others To Follow Suit
But Russia’s war in Ukraine is forcing a rethink of energy security not only in Germany but also by the entire continent. Up until last year, Germany and Russia were major energy partners, with the latter providing the country with the majority of its oil and natural gas. But Russia’s war has led to Europe and Germany scrambling for alternative supplies as winter looms. Germany is now rethinking its nuclear phaseout strategy, and the public is falling in line.
"We will need more electric power in the future. That's a fact. And 6% can be a lot to miss when there is nothing new [to replace it]. We'd be losing 6% when we really will need more,"German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has told Deutsche Welle. Previously, the majority of the public was in favor of the nuclear phaseout in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster; now over 80% are in favor of extending the lifespan of Germany's existing nuclear reactors.
Nuclear energy is seen as a preferable energy source to a fall back to burning coal. According to Dutch-based anti-nuclear group WISE, nuclear plants produce 117 grams of CO2 emissions per kilowatt-hour, much lower compared to burning lignite which emits over 1,000 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour.
Back To Coal
But limiting greenhouse gas emissions is hardly a top priority for energy-starved Europe. According to a report by the Observer Research Foundation, energy supply disruptions triggered by Russia’s war on Ukraine took LNG prices even higher leaving coal as the only option for dispatchable and affordable power in much of Europe, including the tough markets of Western Europe and North America that have explicit policies to phase out coal.
According to the Washington Post, coal mines and power plants that closed 10 years ago have begun to be repaired in Germany. In what industry observers have dubbed a “spring” for Germany’s coal-fired power plants, the country is expected to burn at least 100,000 tons of coal per month by winter. That’s a big U-turn considering that Germany's goal had been to phase out all coal-generated electricity by 2038.
Other European countries such as Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and Greece have also started restarting coal plants.
Meanwhile, China’s coal imports have been surging as power generators increased purchases to provide for peak summer electricity demand. China has the largest number of operational coal power plants with 3,037 while Germany, the largest economy in the EU has 63.
The situation has led to soaring global coal consumption that could reach levels we haven’t seen in a decade, though there will be a limit to growth considering that investment in any new coal-powered plants has stalled. But that only makes the coal market tighter, pushing the energy source into an outperforming category.
Thermal coal, which is the variety used to generate power, has seen a 170% rise in price since the end of 2021–most of those gains made following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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SpaceNut · 2023-01-27 20:34:57

The tunnels are more costly to install, even harder to expand and work since now you have other hazards as caused by the presence of gasses and water in them.

Poles are easily expanded to carry more wires and to replace when broken from accidents or storms.

tahanson43206 · 2023-01-30 12:09:50

For SpaceNut re #112

Your post was about tunnels.

To the best of my knowledge, (admitted limited), underground wiring is run through pipes. Pipes have been successfully used for a variety of purposes for hundreds of years. There are problems with buried pipes when workers dig into them. There are problems with above-ground poles.

There are problems and challenges with any system devised to move product from point (a) to point (b). The advantages of underground wiring are so well established that NO investor in a new community would consider an above-ground pole.

****
https://www.yahoo.com/news/know-nuclear … 43742.html

2025 is the estimated start date for this fuel pellet manufacturer. It will produce Uranium-Oxide pellets.

“With NRC’s diligent oversight and recognizing that this new fuel and even spent fuel is inherently safer than traditional models, we believe the project to be environmentally sound. We believe that the needed safety precautions will be taken working in concert with the city and its departments. We urge the NRC to make its review in the most thorough yet expedient - with the word expedient underlined - fashion to enable this project to advance through the process,” Michaels said.
Anila Yoganathan is a Knox News investigative reporter. You can contact her at anila.yoganathan@knoxnews.com, and follow her on Twitter @AnilaYoganathan. Enjoy exclusive content and premium perks while supporting strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Nuclear facility in Oak Ridge to make fuel for new nuclear plants

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SpaceNut · 2023-01-30 20:39:14

Yes, a single feed to a home is in a 3" pipe but when you start putting more pole services int he same location that pipe now grows to include sewer lines, drainage lines, fiber and phone lines ect... they also need to have detection of water leakage into them and other such things that are not fixable with in a pipe, so they get even larger to accommodate men within them for repairs....

tahanson43206 · 2023-01-31 08:30:20

For SpaceNut re #114

This topic is about rolling out nuclear power as widely and as rapidly as possible.

Distribution of power by telephone poles and overhead wires is a 19th Century idea.

I believe that it would never (** ever **) be done today, anywhere in the United States and probably anywhere in the world.

However, I don't ** know ** those assertions to be true , and am willing to be shown that telephone poles are still being seriously considered for distribution of power anywhere in the United States.

If you can find a city code, for example, that still calls for installation of telephone poles in any new construction, I'd be willing to study it.

My guess is you will find that all city codes for new construction in any major city will specify below ground distribution of utilities.

***
This topic is primarily about nuclear power. However, I agree that the mechanism for distribution of power is a reasonable branch from the main topic.

However, that branch (whatever it is) needs to be tied back to the primary purpose of the topic.

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SpaceNut · 2023-02-01 22:38:09

Back to small or in this case even smaller as Rolls-Royce unveils early-stage design for space nuclear reactor

Nuclear fission systems, which harness the energy released in the splitting of atoms, could be used to power astronaut bases on the moon or Mars. Or they could help shorten the travel time to the Red Planet, which takes six to nine months to reach with current-generation propulsion systems.
Rolls-Royce could be a part of that ambitious spaceflight future. The venerable company released an early-stage design of a micro-nuclear reactor on Friday (Jan. 27), in the wake of a 2021 agreement with the United Kingdom Space Agency to study future nuclear power options in space exploration.
"Each uranium particle is encapsulated in multiple protective layers that act as a containment system, allowing it to withstand extreme conditions," Rolls-Royce tweeted in a brief description of the system.

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-02-10 12:47:08

War mongers, Russian Invasions and Human Stupidity

Russia is draining a massive Ukrainian reservoir, endangering a nuclear plant
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/10/11557616 … lear-plant

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-02-28 12:08:09

More Nuke Proliferation will be happening during the Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Admin?

Putin Suspends Russian Participation in Nuclear Pact with U.S.
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/news-se … 221-92726/

tahanson43206 · 2023-03-01 15:33:11

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/west … 38682.html

Investors(clients) are hanging in despite rising projected costs

Reuters
Western US cities vote to move ahead with novel nuclear power plant
Timothy Gardner
Tue, February 28, 2023 at 4:51 PM EST
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Plans for the first U.S. small modular nuclear power reactor got a boost on Tuesday as some Western U.S. cities vowed to continue with the NuScale Power Corp project despite a jump in projected costs.
Stay ahead of the market
NuScale plans to build a demonstration small modular reactor (SMR) power plant at the Idaho National Laboratory. If successful, the six-reactor, 462 megawatt Carbon Free Power Project will run in 2030.
NuScale said in January the target price for power from the plant is $89 per megawatt hour, up 53% from the previous estimate of $58 per MWh, a jump that raised concerns about whether customers would be willing to pay for the power it generates.
But the consortium of cities in Utah, Idaho, New Mexico and Nevada called Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, or UAMPS, greenlighted the project's budget and finance plan with 26 of 27 approving.
The consortium originally had 30 members but three dropped out
starting in 2020 amid rising costs and delays.
The next step, an application to construct and operate the plant, is expected to be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission early next year.
Mason Baker, the UAMPS chief executive and general manager, said the cities felt the project remained viable because rising prices for steel, copper, and cable were not unique to NuScale.
"The project will support our decarbonization efforts, complement and enable more renewable energy, and keep the grid stable," Baker said. "It will produce steady, carbon-free energy for 40 years or longer.
Backers of next generation nuclear power technologies, including the Biden administration, believe small modular reactors can be built quickly once scaled and will be crucial in curbing climate change.
Critics say the technology is too expensive compared to renewable energy and energy storage and that the reactors will produce radioactive waste, a problem that has boosted costs for traditional nuclear plants.
The U.S. Department of Energy in 2020 approved $1.35 billion over 10 years for the project, subject to congressional appropriations. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner Editing by Marguerita Choy)

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Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-03-07 06:26:25

Biden's non-binary ex-nuclear waste chief Sam Brinton is investigated by the FBI
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl … d-FBI.html

IAEA: Fukushima water release is in line with safety standards
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14820255

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-03-10 04:32:08

UN Issues Urgent Warning Over Ukraine’s Nuclear Power Plant Disruption
https://greekreporter.com/2023/03/09/un … wer-plant/

Zelenskyy condemns attack on Zaporizhzhia power plant that put 'European continent in danger'
https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/10/zel … t-in-dange
Ukraine's president has condemned the latest attack against the Zaporizhzhia power plant, joining a growing list of critics arguing the assault put the "European continent in danger".
The attack also put Europe's largest nuclear plant at risk by knocking it off the power grid for nearly half of the day before it was reconnected.
"Zaporizhzhia is the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe And Russia is putting in danger the entirety of our joint European continent, Russia included," he said.

Ukraine's nuclear plant lost power for the sixth time. Is disaster imminent?
https://www.iowapublicradio.org/news-fr … r-imminent

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-03-15 20:08:38

Groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) have talked on safety and security issues

now the IAEA warns

Tons of uranium missing from Libyan site, IAEA tells member states
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodi … 023-03-15/

"The loss of knowledge about the present location of nuclear material may present a radiological risk, as well as nuclear security concerns," it said, adding that reaching the site required "complex logistics".
In 2003 Libya under then-leader Muammar Gaddafi renounced its nuclear weapons programme, which had obtained centrifuges that can enrich uranium as well as design information for a nuclear bomb, though it made little progress towards a bomb.
Libya has had little peace since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted Gaddafi. Since 2014, political control has been split between rival eastern and western factions, with the last major bout of conflict ending in 2020.

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-03-15 20:10:19)

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-03-18 23:21:42

Tiny but deadly radioactive capsule that fell off a truck on a remote desert road is miraculously found after three weeks
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl … found.html

Radioactive cylinder goes missing in Thailand, authorities launch massive search operation
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/radioactive-c … on-1714234

Before the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine some kids and arty film makers were going into Chernobyl and making 'Urban Exploration' videos, they often seemed creepy but were also like a time capsule

Journey Inside Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone | Short Film Showcase

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrbTTrgLB5A

There was a one thousand mile exclusion zone.

Animals and Plant have started to come back to the region and some species are thriving
Spiders, Flies, Potatoes, Potato Beatles, Mushrooms, Dogs, Birds, Wild Cats, Bears, Wild Horses, Catfish, Bison, Wolves some larger species have been missing for centuries...the war might have spooked these animals again.

In studies it was found there were a much higher level of physical abnormality in animals.

On a radioactive planet will people still drink booze?

'In 2019, Chernobyl Spirit Company released Atomik Vodka, the first consumer product made from materials grown and cultivated in the exclusion zone'
https://allthatsinteresting.com/chernobyl-atomik-vodka

Newspapers with sensational headlines

Chernobyl Dog might one day survive on Mars?

'New breed of dogs emerge at Chernobyl nuclear disaster site able to survive at most radioactive place on earth'

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21595092/ … ster-site/

The pooches are genetically distinct from other dogs, research has found

An 18-mile radius known as the "Exclusion Zone" was set up around the reactor following the disaster.

Chernobyl was seized by Russian forces in early 2022 during the Ukraine war, sparking fears of a major radioactive disaster.

Elaine Ostrander, study author and geneticist at the NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute, told IFLScience: "We don’t yet know what, if any, genetic differences might allow dogs to survive in one versus another environment.
“Looking for changes in the DNA that have helped one versus the other population survive is the long-term goal of the study and one we are working towards now.
"I think the most remarkable think about the study is that we identify populations of dogs living in and in the shadow of the reactor, and we can tell who those dogs are just by looking at their DNA profile.
"We think that is an important experiment because those changes, if identified, would be helpful for understanding early events in cancer, help guide using therapies for diseases that are motivated by radiation exposure, and would suggest ways in which we can better protect ourselves from both accidental and natural radiation exposure."
She said most of the dogs living in the exclusion zone are likely descendants of pets from people that fled Chernobyl.

Radiocesium contamination of the web spider Nephila clavata (Nephilidae: Arachnida) 1.5 years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a … 1X13002257

Established by the Soviet Armed Forces soon after the 1986 disaster, it initially existed as an area of 30 km (19 mi) radius from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant designated for evacuation and placed under military control. Its borders have since been altered to cover a larger area of Ukraine. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone borders a separately administered area, the Polesie State Radioecological Reserve, to the north in Belarus. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is managed by an agency of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, while the power plant and its sarcophagus (and replacement) are administered separately.The Exclusion Zone covers an area of approximately 2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi) in Ukraine immediately surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant where radioactive contamination is highest and public access and habitation are restricted. Other areas of compulsory resettlement and voluntary relocation not part of the restricted Exclusion Zone exist in the surrounding areas and throughout Ukraine.
https://archive.today/20130218024359/ht … &map=58_en

Chernobyl's legacy recorded in trees
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-23619870

South Korea seeks scientific analysis before Fukushima water release
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/ … -analysis/
Some of Japan's other neighbors, such as China and Taiwan, have also expressed opposition

Nowhere to put nuclear waste
https://japantoday.com/category/picture … lear-waste
'Black plastic bags'

Back to Fukushima: Surfers return to the beaches, 12 years on
https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/17/bac … 2-years-on

Ukraine's nuclear plant lost power for the sixth time. Is disaster imminent?
https://www.tspr.org/npr-news/2023-03-0 … r-imminent

According to Ukrainian reports, the radiation levels in the exclusion zone increased after the invasion. The higher levels are believed to be a result of disturbance of radioactive dust by the military activity or possibly incorrect readings caused by cyberattacks.

https://weatherboy.com/scientists-track … n-ukraine/
,
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60638949

There was some discussion on the web that Russian soldiers were sent back home to Russia with sickness after digging trenches in the area.

https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/31/chernoby … -16377485/
,
https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-t … l-trenches

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-03-18 23:52:15)

Mars_B4_Moon · 2023-03-26 13:01:08

More Nuclear Power in Belarus including Nuke Missiles

Radioactive water release from Fukushima nuclear plant stokes fresh fears for Japanese fisherman
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/a … kes-fresh/
The Tokyo Electric Power Co plans to soon start releasing more than a million tons of radioactive water from the plant

A website shadow proof, reuters and socialist web article from 2011 and many other people have criticized the compnaty

in Asia the Japanese continue to clean up

'Japan’s TEPCO: a history of nuclear disaster cover-ups'
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2011/03/tepc-m17.htm
TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company), which operates the failing nuclear power plants at Fukushima, has a history of scandals associated with its nuclear power operations.
https://shadowproof.com/2011/03/14/tepc … gued-past/

Japan's nuclear power operator has checkered past
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japa … B420110312
Geothermal power, cheap and clean, could help run Japan. So why doesn’t it?
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-wor … doesnt-it/

Lukashenko announced the launch of the second unit of the Astravets nuclear power plant News
https://web.archive.org/web/20230313113 … lant-news/

2020 article

What to expect from the new Belarusian nuclear power plant

https://web.archive.org/web/20220417074 … wer-plant/

'The NPP is highly unlikely to result in a large-scale catastrophe. However, the geopolitical implications of the project are far more concerning.'

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-03-26 13:01:31)

Calliban · 2023-03-26 14:41:42

MB4M, A cultural problem in Japan, I think. They seem to have a regimented culture, in which subordinates never ask difficult questions of authority. The Soviet Union had a problem that was in some ways similar. Still, I don't think the nuclear power sector in Japan is as bad as anti-nukes like to make out. The older power reactors at Fukushima, were not designed to cope with foreseeable initiating events at the site. The tsunami hazard is not something that most other countries have to contend with. This is the problem with taking a plant design from somewhere else and just assuming it will work for you without any external hazards analysis. If the plant had been built in most other places, it would have been OK. But Japan is one of the most seismically difficult places to build anything. They didn't adapt the plant design to local conditions. And Japan is particularly unforgiving environment. It is right on the Pacific Ring of Fire. It has volcanos, megaquakes, tsunami and typhoons. If there is a design weakness in anything built in Japan, Mother Nature will find it.

Last edited by Calliban (2023-03-26 14:45:03)

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