US Plans "Disposable" Nuclear Batteries

NewScientistTech ^ | 3-13-08 | Phil McKenna

[HangnJudge]

The Bush administration has ear-marked $20 million in its 2009 budget toward the US Department of Energy's efforts to design nuclear power plants in the 250-to-500 megawatt range as part of its Global Nuclear Energy Program (GNEP).

The money marks the first substantial commitment to building the new plants since President Bush announced the program in February 2006. The latest nuclear plants designed for US domestic use have capacities about 1300 megawatts.

GNEP, which now includes 21 member countries, hopes to begin construction of its first reactor in a country currently without nuclear power in 2015, saying the plants will provide a clean, safe source of electricity.

Nuclear green "These will be deployed in a responsible way that is safe and secure and offers the lowest possible risk for proliferation," says Daniel Ingersoll of GNEP and the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Global energy demand is expected to be 50% higher in 2030 than it is today with 70% of this growth coming from developing countries. "They are going to grab whatever power sources they can," Ingersoll says. "We think nuclear power offers a better option than fossil fuels and there is no way renewables alone will be enough."

Countries that build the reactors would have to agree to use nuclear power for civilian purposes only and to forego uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities that can be used to develop nuclear weapons, GNEP says.

Nuclear batteries Nations with established nuclear capacity would supply fuel and collect spent material for reprocessing to ensure no fuel went missing. "Fourth generation" reactors could be built with a sealed load of fuel that lasts the lifetime of the reactor – like a disposable gadget with a non-replacable battery

[Tallguy]

Didn’t the Soviets play with Liquid-Sodium reactors on a sub or 2? I don’t think that they had a lot of success with it.

[Centurion2000]

bump

[Centurion2000]

Actually there was one of these platforms that used liquid lead as the heat conductor if I remember correctly. It was so automated that when the nuclear fuel ran down the lead would freeze in place and provide a solid lead shielding block that could be buried or extracted as needed.

[B-Chan]

So did we. USS SEAWOLF (SSN-575) had a liquid sodium moderated reactor at launch, but it never did work right, and later it was ripped out and replaced with the standard naval PWR (pressurized water reactor). This was back in the late ‘50s.

The Russian Alfa-class subs of the 1980s used molten lead for coolant!

[HangnJudge]

Another reference

http://www.ornl.gov/info/press_releases/get_press_release.cfm?ReleaseNumber=mr20080312-00

Making nuclear power an option for developing countries is of great importance, Ingersoll said, because their energy demand will be met regardless of whether they use nuclear energy. By using nuclear energy, countries can offset negative consequences -- such as higher prices caused by increased demand -- of expanded use of fossil fuels.