Major report released by MIT: No shortage of uranium for nuclear energy, more research needed

Physorg ^ | September 17, 2010 | David L. Chandler

[epithermal]

Uranium supplies will not limit the expansion of nuclear power in the U.S. or around the world for the foreseeable future, according to a major new interdisciplinary study produced under the auspices of the MIT Energy Initiative.

The study challenges conventional assumptions about nuclear energy. It suggests that nuclear power using today’s reactor technology with a once-through fuel cycle can play a significant part in displacing the world’s carbon-emitting fossil-fuel plants, and thus help to reduce the potential for global climate change. But determining the best fuel cycle for the next generation of nuclear power plants will require more research, the report concludes.

[epithermal]

"The cost of uranium today is 2 to 4% of the cost of electricity. Our analysis of uranium mining costs versus cumulative production in a world with ten times as many LWRs and each LWR operating for 60 years indicates a probable 50% increase in uranium costs. Such a modest increase in uranium costs would not significantly impact nuclear power economics."

http://web.mit.edu/mitei/docs/spotlights/nuclear-fuel-cycle.pdf

[Robert A Cook PE]

That is probably the ONLY good thing about Obama’s latest surrender to Soviet nuclear domination by US giving more nuke warheads.

We will have more Pu239 to re-process into fuel. And I hope we buy THEIR newl;y excess Pu239 as quickly as possible so THEY don’t suddenly have any “excess warheads” that can be sold to convenient client states.

I’d rather we begin Th reactor design ......

[GingisK]

Chernobyl gives reason for pause.

[stocksthatgoup]

More study more delay more grants for academia

[epithermal]

Chernobyl was a vastly archaic reactor whose safety systems, regulation and management were not close to acceptable standards. Modern working reactors are not susceptible to Chernobyl-style accidents, and some designs now under consideration could be safer still.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

Once-through is wasteful. The fact is, after you run out of virgin uranium, you WILL reprocess. Might as well from the start.

[The Comedian]

Uranium supplies will not limit the expansion of nuclear power in the U.S.

No, that's the Regime's self-assigned responsibility, under the tutelage of their enviro-whacko constituency.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[calex59]

Chernobyl gives reason for pause.

Only an uneducated boob would think so. Chernobyl lacked the safe guards that American Reactors have. 3 Mile island was a hoax, used by the left to stop nuclear power plant production in the USA and it worked. No damage, no leakage was incurred at 3 Mile Island. American nukes are safe. Period. Go read a little bit and educate yourself and remove your "reason for pause" and give the rest of us a break!

[Robert A Cook PE]

Chernobyl lacked the safe guards that American Reactors have.

Not exactly.

Chernobyl did lack some of the safety features our reactors (and the French, UK, Spanish, and Indian and the rest of the civilized world's) reactors).

But the operators there deliberately turned off even those safety systems to “test” a emergency run-down way of powering the pumps after a loss-of-power accident. To “simulate” the loss of power, they ALSO turned off the actual pump power, the safety interlocks that would have scrammed the reacotr, AND they had been driving out (pulling up ) the control rods for several hours to overcome the natural shutdown of the reactor by poisons after operations.

They had several problems with the test - and the first shift (daytime) plant operators were still on duty many hours after their shift was over trying to get the “safety” test done. It was the overriding control of the dayshift plant manager that ultimately forced the problem at about 2:30 AM.

Sure - The lack of containment, the use of a fast neutron reactor to optimize Pu239 production for bombs, the carbon moderator around the fuel that burned to spread contamination all made the accident worse.

But the dayshift plant operators were the ones who shut off ALL safety systems to the reactor. And then pulled rods out.

[calex59]

It amounts to the same thing, whether Chernobyl lacked the safe guards or were turned off it means that conditions were not as safe as American Reactors. There is no way an American crew(unless infiltrated with traitors)would shut off the safe guards. Won’t happen here.

[Del Rapier]

“It can’t happen here” is the best way to jinx that kind of thing.

What happened in Dauphin county was nowhere near as bad as what happened in Pripyat.

[chimera]

Right now the economics favor once-through. Reprocessed fuel is pricier. The prices will start to shift in favor of reprocessed material probably before unirradiated uranium runs out. We need to have reprocessing infrastructure in place before we reach that point.

[chimera]

Remember that the positive void feedback in the low-power regime was the real weak point from a reactor physics viewpoint. As long as we have systems with a negative alpha, we don't need to worry about an RBMK-type transient. No safety analysis I've ever run with LWR systems shows the kind of energy release and power evolution that you can get with a graphite moderated system at low power with a step reactivity insertion.

[calex59]

Well, then if it happens here you know who to blame don’t you?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Robert A. Cook, PE.

[GingisK]

Only an uneducated boob would think so.

A comment not at all fitting for gentlemanly discourse. That is so typical of people on this site, and throughout our Nation. Is it any wonder that our political landscape is hateful? Try civility. It doesn't hurt at all.

Three Mile Island was within a few seconds of the same sort of disaster. My Physics professors, all nuclear engineers, were not in favor of nuclear power simply because of the politics and the "union goons" that operate them. The damage they can cause is well beyond that of lead solder.

[GingisK]

There is no way an American crew(unless infiltrated with traitors)would shut off the safe guards. Won’t happen here.

There was no way a Kenyan would become President of our Nation. There was no way the Titanic could sink. Etc, etc.

Mother Nature sides with the hidden flaw. Traitors are commonplace in our society today. Incredible incompetency abounds in our leadership. They aren't compentent enough to set traffic lights up correctly, how can they be trusted with really dangerous stuff? How can you assume total safety?

[narses]

Amazingly STUPID. Drunken sods.

[GingisK]

The damage to the surrounding territory is truely extensive. The half-ass cleanup played a large role in the bankruptcy of the Soviet Union.

This is interesting:http://www.elenafilatova.com/

[bigheadfred]

American nukes are safe. Period. Go read a little bit and educate yourself and remove your "reason for pause" and give the rest of us a break!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2590339/posts?page=18#18