Axil Axil <[email protected]> wrote: I consider isotopic shi[f]ts in nickel and lithium as structural damage > leading the eventual fuel failure. >
Eventually, when? The fuel has to run out eventually. All fuel does. All reactors have a limited lifetime. Either the fuel runs out, or some other component in the reactor wears out or becomes structurally damaged or embrittled. This reactor went for a month and it produced as much energy as one-third of a uranium fuel pellet, or 126 gallons of gasoline. There is no indication the performance was degrading or that the fuel was on the verge of failing. It is reasonable to assume it could go for a year. Given the price of nickel that would be cost-effective. Probably the structural damage could be repaired by recycling the materials. Actually it is reasonable to assume it would go for many years but there is no proof of that. There is certainly no proof that structural damage was measurably degrading performance in this test. - Jed
