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FBaggins

(28,706 posts)
12. Reconsider E = mc2
Fri Feb 21, 2014, 11:02 AM
Feb 2014
From what I've read there isn't enough known deposits to even get there. I may be wrong.

You are (though total electrification powered by nuclear is not a realistic scenario anyway). Remember that only the tiniest proportion of nuclear fuel is actually "burned" / converted to electricity. The reason the fuel needs to be replaced after a few years is that while the fission products are still a small proportion of the total mass, they impair the ongoing nuclear reaction. There's still lots of usable "fuel" in there... it just needs to be separated from the rest. The US doesn't see any need for that now because uranium is so plentiful and cheap... but if you increased the number of reactors tenfold (in a world market that is also many times larger)... then recycling would be prefered (as it is in other countries) to reduce waste (and waste storage) and dependence on foreign uranium supplies.

But as I implied in the earlier reply... fuel supplies in such a scenario really aren't a big concern. While thorium has some rabid fans, it isn't necessary in the current mix, but it certainly could become so if we thought that uranium supplies were in danger even after recycling. Or you could go with something like a traveling wave reactor that's fed with plutonium (recycled from spent nuclear fuel) that breeds depleted uranium into usable fuel. Even if uranium and thorium weren't plentiful... using depleted uranium makes the supply a multiple-century issue (by which time we had better have fusion licked)

Where would we get the water to cool them?

Not all cooling options consume large amounts of water. Proper siting of reactors needs to include water supply concerns. Additionally... I'm a fan of using waste heat from reactors to desalinate sea water. They could even help the water supply concerns.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Renewables can deliver cleaner energy at the same price, but... DetlefK Feb 2014 #1
In a lot of cases solar and wind could be point of use madokie Feb 2014 #2
The solar roofs of 1000 homes powering a factory? DetlefK Feb 2014 #3
I'm not advocating 100 percent renewables only as much as we can feasibly do which is a lot more madokie Feb 2014 #4
Whether 20 or 500, it's still practically nothing compared to >50 million. DetlefK Feb 2014 #5
What solar would bring wouldn't require an individual control of each madokie Feb 2014 #6
It depends Altair_IV Feb 2014 #16
a lot of the fuel sabbat hunter Feb 2014 #29
Solar-thermal can bank energy into the wee hours Kolesar Feb 2014 #7
I once estimated it would take about 4000 reactors, worldwide phantom power Feb 2014 #8
Choke madokie Feb 2014 #9
It is achievable... phantom power Feb 2014 #11
Accidents happen madokie Feb 2014 #13
Reconsider E = mc2 FBaggins Feb 2014 #12
But how do you get sea water all the way to Oklahoma, kansas, North and South Dakota etc. etc.? madokie Feb 2014 #15
Numerous errors and misconceptions.. Altair_IV Feb 2014 #17
Did you just assume another name? madokie Feb 2014 #18
Welcome back kristopher Feb 2014 #19
Not the UCS Altair_IV Feb 2014 #22
Too bad you never learned to read a citation PamGreg kristopher Feb 2014 #26
Yes you have numerous errors madokie Feb 2014 #21
Students at Stanford? Altair_IV Feb 2014 #23
I suppose a second, possibly third time through madokie Feb 2014 #24
???????? Altair_IV Feb 2014 #25
I'm making myself very clear madokie Feb 2014 #27
Why would we even try? FBaggins Feb 2014 #10
If you dig back to around 2007 cprise Feb 2014 #14
According to Obama's Science Advisor kristopher Feb 2014 #20
That's such a phoney argument Altair_IV Feb 2014 #28
Because he retired he no longer is a Real Scientist madokie Feb 2014 #30
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