C-H:
Technically, what you can do is to switch to torium instead of uranium.
Is "Torium" just a misspelling, which should actually be "Thorium", or is there a newly added Element, which postdates my current version of the Periodic Table (1994)???
If it is Thorium, then:
Looking at the Periodic Table, it's Atomic Number is 90, and weight is 232 (and some change...).
Would be nearly as large and bulky as U 235 / 238, along with being totally unstable too.
Questions:
1: Does this Element (one of it's Isotopes) "swallow up" Electrons in a Reactor and become highly Radioactive - similar to the way U 238 will catch a free flying Electron, turning into the highly Radioactive / sllloooowwww decaying (1/2 life) Isotope U239?
If this doesn't occur, or at least not to the degree which Uranium does, that's a heck of a great step forward, as far as spent fuel disposal + Management.
2: Does this Element create any "Fissionable new Elements" during a typical reaction - similar to how Uranium 235 will create a percentage of Plutonium, which will also be split (fission), and contribute to the complete heat volume generated in the reactor?
3: How much usable fuel is available per Mole of "Raw Material" - like how Uranium base fuel contains mostly unusable U238, with... what is it, something like 30% U235 usable fuel?
4: As compared to the total _Gross_ heat energy generated by Fission of Uranium 235 + Plutonium, what would the percentage be for Thorium?
5: How long are Thorium's "Dirtiest Half-Lives" (half life events with higher Radiation emission than the Element would have naturally before Fission, or higher than Radium in its natural state)?
6: Is Thorium very abundant, or will it need to be obtained from mines in "Difficult" areas (deep mining, minimal ore vs. overburden).
Please excuse my lack of solid Nuclear Physics knowledge! Feel free to de-bunk any and all totally lame description I have made!
Only covered the "Basic Basics" of Atomic Fission and Fusion Reactions in my Science Studies - with very little math involved!
Part of my lessons were from High School Physical Sciences courses, with the remainders being part self studies and part from Electrical Engineering (as would be covered / required for BSEE).
I am really interested in new, more "Modern" ideas for Generating Electricity via Nuclear Energy sources... or as "Reno" said:
It's Pronounced "New-Que-Lure" Peter Griffin - of "the Family Guy" pulled a great one, on the "Y2K" episode!
Lois said "New-Clear" (referring to a Nuclear Holocaust), and Peter "corrected" her by saying:
"It's Nuke-U-Lure, dummy, not New-Clear; the "S" is silent"
Nearly died laughing!
Lastly, per Alan's post:
Nuclear Fusion power may be closer than you think.
This would be great news!!!
Plentiful fuel, much less of a headache to deal with the spent (used) fuel .. doesn't a Hydrogen Fusion complete reaction end up with Helium as the newly created Element?
Seem to remember:
1: 2 Hydrogens get fused together, resulting in a new element + output energy,
2: One of these "Dual Hydrogens" get fused to another Hydrogen, resulting in "Heavy Hydrogen" (Deuterium) + additional output energy,
3: Heavy Hydrogen gets fused to either another Hydrogen, or is it two Heavy Hydrogens get fused together, resulting in the new element Helium + output energy.
Nevertheless, the "Fallout" which would linger around, should a Fusion Reactor become uncontrollable (then go "Melt"!) would be Helium.
The heat would be hellish, but afterwards everyone would be talking like "Mickey Mouse"
As far as Generating Electricity via Steam (water boiled by heat from a Nuke-U-Lure reaction), I have always been in favor of it - once I knew what the heck was going on inside (thank my 9th grade physics teacher for this!).
The only real drawbacks are the disposal of spent fuel (fission), and the "Tiny Bit Of Energy" that may render most materials useless (fusion).
As far as I know, the crucial issue keeping Hydrogen Fusion from being used in place of Uranium Fission, is containing the extreme heat energy of the reactions.
As to the Technology vs. Political issues of Hydrogen Fusion, I just say "The Stars + The Sun have been doing it for a few hundred years - at least (humor regarding time), seems like it works for them!"
(like I could constrain the intensity of a star's mass!...hee hee hee).
Ok, what was it that i wanted to say??? - Oh ya, More Fossil Fuel-based Power Generation for me!!! (not serious at all!)
The "natural" options are becoming more productive now.
Besides Hydro-Electric sites - which have a high upfront investment, yet are almost "free-endless energy" from the water cycle; Wind, Solar and Geothermal generation is really taking off in my area of the Planet (South Western United States).
There are still a lot of Fuel Burning Generating plants, but they have advantages too.
Another source for fueling the Prime Movers of Electric Power Generation comes from the Methane released at Land Fills (Refuse, or trash fills).
All the Land Fills in Orange County are recovering the Methane Gas (which is a byproduct of the garbage breaking down), and driving Generators that are connected in a "Co-Generation" fashion with that Methane Gas.
This provides power for the land fill electrical needs, and also "flows" out to the utility grid.
This is a great topic for discussion!!! Glad it was brought up.
Would like to discuss these items more, but maybe a new thread would be a good idea?
Let me know.
Scott35
[This message has been edited by Scott35 (edited 07-15-2006).]