[Vision2020] Liquid-Metal Fast-Breeder Reactor: Twice as Much Energy in World Uranium Reserves (!) as in Fossil Fuel Reserves

[Ron Force]

Thanks, Ted,
The problem is, as I understand it, is that the near-term issue is not the 
availability or cost of nuclear fuel; it's the capital costs of construction, 
which are 1/3 higher for LMFBRs vs. PWRs. They've also had a checkered history, 
with many operational and maintenance problems, sodium fires & leaks, etc.
The US program was canceled in the 80's because of cost over runs and pressure 
from the nuclear nonproliferation community. It was felt that the controls at 
that time weren't adequate to prevent possible diversions from the amount of 
bomb-grade plutonium that would be produced in large-scale reactor operation.  
That was under the Regan administration. President Regan, despite his "warrior" 
image was quite concerned with the issues of nuclear weapons and their 
proliferation.


Ron Force
Moscow ID USA


________________________________
From: Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com>
To: Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Wed, September 15, 2010 7:44:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Liquid-Metal Fast-Breeder Reactor: Twice as Much 
Energy in World Uranium Reserves (!) as in Fossil Fuel Reserves


To "Off list" respondent:
> 
You may very well be correct.  Perhaps the ALMR (Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor) 
that is discussed in the following 2005 article from Scientific American is not 
as promising as it appears the authors indicate:
> 
>http://www.nationalcenter.org/NuclearFastReactorsSA1205.pdf
>  
>The advantages, unless I misunderstand, are that much much more energy can be 
>derived given uranium resources, and nuclear waste can be reduced given it can 
>be used as fuel.  Existing PWR reactor designs, if I have my facts straight, 
>cannot supply enough energy from uranium over many decades, to largely replace 
>fossil fuels, given the low efficencies of how PWRs use fuel.
> 
>Thorium is another option for powering nuclear reactors, more abundant than 
>uranium; but with fast breeder reactors using uranium thorium is not as 
>necessary, given uranium could supply a lot of energy for many decades.  Info on 
>thorium as a nuclear fuel at website below:
> 
>http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf62.html
-------------------
More information on fast neutron reactors with a list of fast reactors that have 
already been in operation at website below:
 
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf98.html
-------------------
Tom Blees' "Prescription for the Planet" advocates use of fast breeder reactors 
to partially solve the anthropogenic climate warming crisis:
 
http://prescriptionfortheplanet.com/
 
The website below, "Science Council for Global Initiatives," presented on the 
"Prescription for the Planet" website above, also endorses use of "Integral Fast 
Reactors (using nuclear waste as fuel)" with a positive suggestion that nuclear 
weapons be used to generate peaceful (my wording) energy:
 
http://www.thesciencecouncil.com/

 

________________________________
 From: Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com>
>>To: Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>Sent: Mon, September 13, 2010 4:48:20 PM
>>Subject: [Vision2020] Liquid-Metal Fast-Breeder Reactor: Twice as Much Energy in 
>>World Uranium Reserves (!) as in Fossil Fuel Reserves
>> 
>>
>>
>>Perhaps environmentalists who are opposed to peaceful nuclear power should 
>>consider the technology proposed below, given it has the potential to greatly 
>>reduce reliance on fossil fuels, dependence on which (especially coal) has 
>>polluted the environment and caused more premature human death than peaceful 
>>nuclear power, many times over.  The nuclear genie is out of the bottle anyway, 
>>and those determined to abuse nuclear technology for nefarious ends will not be 
>>deterred by environmentalists who oppose nuclear power for peaceful energy 
>>generation.
>> 
>>Read document "Resource Limitations on Earth-Energy," Kulcinski, 2004, 
>>University of Wisconsin-Madison, on page 28, regarding the claim in the subject 
>>heading:
>> 
>>http://fti.neep.wisc.edu/neep533/SPRING2004/lecture3.pdf
>>------------------- 
>> 
>>HyperPhysics website (way cool one stop shop for Physics science) from Georgia 
>>State University, with info on liquid metal fast breeder reactors::
>> 
>>http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html
>> 
>>http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/fasbre.html#c4
>> 
>>http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/reactor.html#c5
>>------------------------------------------
>>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>> 
>



      
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