Sent to you by Sean McBride via Google Reader: bob (friend of Paul Buchheit): Mini nuclear plants to power 20,000 homes | Environment | The Observer (via FriendFeed) via FriendFeed on 11/9/08 bob (friend of Paul Buchheit) posted a link Mini nuclear plants to power 20,000 homes | Environment | The Observer 1 hour ago - Comment - Like Steve Olson, Chris White and torque liked this "Nuclear power plants smaller than a garden shed and able to power 20,000 homes will be on sale within five years, say scientists at Los Alamos, the US government laboratory which developed the first atomic bomb. The miniature reactors will be factory-sealed, contain no weapons-grade material, have no moving parts and will be nearly impossible to steal because they will be encased in concrete and buried underground...'They will cost approximately $25m [£13m] each. For a community with 10,000 households, that is a very affordable $250 per home.' Deal claims to have more than 100 firm orders, largely from the oil and electricity industries, but says the company is also targeting developing countries and isolated communities. 'It's leapfrog technology,' he said. The company plans to set up three factories to produce 4,000 plants between 2013 and 2023. 'We already have a pipeline for 100 reactors, and we are taking our time to tool up to mass-produce this reactor.'" - bob It would be nice. What are the odds this thing will actually be built though. The company looks pretty new. http://www.hyperionpowergenera... "Once sited safely in its underground containment vessel, an HPM is monitored but does not require a battery of operational personnel.. It just quietly delivers safe, reliable power – 70 MW thermal or 25 MW electric via steam turbine – for a period of seven to 10 years. The core of the HPM produces energy via a safe, natural heat-producing process that occurs with the oscillation of hydrogen in uranium hydride. HPMs cannot go “supercritical,” melt down, or get “too hot.” It maintains its safe, operating temperature without the introduction and removal of “cooling rods” – an operation that has the potential for mechanical failure." - Paul Buchheit Things you can do from here: - Subscribe to FriendFeed using Google Reader - Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
