If you have noticed, the pattern of transmutation has changed over the years based on how the powder is positioned in the reactor. Tight powder packing leads to more transmutation of the powder. This transmutation will eventually change nickel into some other element like titanium or iron. This will eventually deactivated the powder.
If the particles of the powder are spaced well apart as in the DGT reactor design, little nickel transmutation is seen. This is good since the nickel powder will experience a long service life. On Wed, Oct 8, 2014 at 4:37 PM, Jed Rothwell <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 > >
