Posted on 08/19/2016 6:56:17 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
On the horizon are U.S.-designed small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) that range from 50 megawatts to 300 megawatts electrical power output. Like renewables (wind and solar), SMRs produce no air pollution or global warming gases, but SMRs are also capable of generating base load electrical power on demand.
Almost 50 companies are creating designs for SMRs using 21st-century technology and enhanced features. These designs include modularity, efficient factory construction, rapid siting and exceptional safe operation. Very important is that SMRs are less expensive and easier and faster to site and build than conventional 1,200-megawatt nuclear plants. Reliance on renewables as now pursued by Germany has resulted in 37 cents per kilowatt-hour in U.S. dollars compared with France (75 percent nuclear base) at 17 cents per kilowatt-hour and Utah at 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.
U.S. electrical utilities have focused on large nuclear power reactors such as the 1,200-megawatt Westinghouse AP1000. Because of their size, complexity and multibillion-dollar cost, most utilities now avoid them. However, SMRs are factory built at great cost savings and assembled in modular clusters as needed and rapidly sited as electric generating capacity increases. Each SMR module can be operated independently of others to match operation coordinated with renewables' fluctuating duty cycle. To accommodate varying electrical power demand or refueling or maintenance outages, the SMR modules provide optimum electrical generation.
Most SMR development involves startup companies and is privately funded....
(Excerpt) Read more at beta.deseretnews.com ...
[ The lies and incompetence on the part of the nuclear industry “professionals” exceed the complications introduced by water/steam as a heat vehicle. ]
Indeed and big gov/big biz cronyism is abound and plentiful in the nookular industry...
Much worse than that movie. Plus when fukushima happened, US nuclear power plants conducted self-assessment and then approx 75% concluded that their storage of spent fuel was same risk as Fukushima and requested federal funds to reduce risks seen at Fukushima.
Each SMR module can be operated independently of others to match operation coordinated with renewables’ fluctuating duty cycle. To accommodate varying electrical power demand or refueling or maintenance outages, the SMR modules provide optimum electrical generation.
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Or so they say. These things have been promised for many years.
The way I understand it nuclear fuel is processed in very remote areas and the electricity to power those processing/enriching plants comes from local power plants that are mostly conventional. Which I find ironic.
I wont engage is beating a straw man.
“There are 3 nuclear core meltdowns in Japan that will be dumping radioactive waste into the environment daily for decades (and have been doing so since March 2011).”
How many people have died as a result of the Fukushima incident, exactly?
That said, modern reactor designs can’t melt down, it’s not physically possible. We just need to stop building reactors using decades-old designs.
“And yet, nuclear power is STILL being touted as “clean”???????!”
Of course. Fossil fuel generation kills hundreds of thousands of people annually.
“Nuclear engineers are the first to admit the technology does not exist to clean up Fukushima but the “answer” is to forget about it and build something new?”
The “answer” is to build safe reactors. The technology exists today.
Well Japan won’t admit to liability anymore than the Soviets would really Cher noble. In fact Japan made it illegal to discuss so sad info will be trickling out and being denied for decades. So the nuke industry continues it song soiled history of lying and denial - why would anyone believe them when they say the new technology can’t fail when they said the same thing about the old technology?
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