Port-A-Nuke

Roland Piquepaille writes "Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are designing a self-contained, tamper-resistant nuclear reactor that can be transported and installed anywhere in the world. In 'US plans portable nuclear power plants,' New Scientist writes that the sealed reactors would last 30 years and deliver between 10 and 100 megawatts. The largest version would be about 15 meters high and 3 meters wide, with a weight of about 500 tons, allowing for transportation by ships or very large trucks. The DOE thinks that this kind of nuclear reactor -- named SSTAR for 'small, sealed, transportable, autonomous reactor' -- would help to deliver nuclear energy to developing countries while significantly reducing the risk of nuclear proliferation associated with the use of nuclear power. What do you think of this idea? Is it a good one or a crazy one? Leaving a nuclear reactor in a developing country which can potentially become unstable during the 30 years of service of the reactor doesn't seem to be terribly safe. Read more before deciding. Anyway, there will be no prototypes before 2015."

Comments

I've got mine on pre-order.

[inertia187]

Not a bad idea. And as for becoming unstable, I'm sure it's simple enough to bury the reactor such that it becomes it's own disposal site.

I'll take the 10 megawatts model for my house. I'm sure it's no bigger than an asteroid the size of a VW.

Re:I've got mine on pre-order.

[the chao goes mu]

Wouldn't "no bigger than an asteroid the size of a VW" be more simply stated as "no bigger than a VW"?

Or is this some sort of demonostration of the fact that size is transitive? A=B, B=C Thus A=C?

You could have just as easily said "no bigger than a block of cheese the size of a pile of matchsticks the size of an asteroid the size of a VW".

Re:I've got mine on pre-order.

[WormholeFiend]

not to mention the light fixtures and hydroponic systems required to grow pot in a basement...

oh and thanks for reminding me to feed the lizard.

Re:I've got mine on pre-order.

[Juvenall]

Most applications do not need 1 GHz processors.

Wait, you're telling me I don't need the 3.2Ghz P4 with "Hyper-Threading" to power my porno slideshow screensaver?!?

Followup Slashdot stories

[Anonymous Coward]

Hacking a Port-A-Nuke

Powering Laptop With a Port-A-Nuke

Building Your Own Port-A-Nuke

Now a Porn-A-Nuke?

Now a Porn-A-Nuke?

[Wrexs0ul]

Now a Porn-A-Nuke?

Also known as a very dirty bomb.

-Matt

Re:One Dirty Bomb

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, just make sure you're not doing it in Chico, CA. There's a $500 fine for detonating a nuclear device within the city limits.

Re:wearable device

[Oliver Wendell Jones]

"It just occured to me that each of is wearing an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back..."

You forgot to insult him.

[JudgeFurious]

The alarming drop in standards I've seen on Slashdot lately really bothers me. Insults are critical to the Slashdot environment.

At this rate we're going to see a complete lack of insults within...oh.. ...Oh, nevermind. We should be good on insults until 2231 give or take a few years.

But still it's no excuse to go slacking man. Now get back on here, call him an asshat and straighten up your postings pronto.

Re:On the next episode of Trading Spaces!

[Jhan]

Power Strip Wainscotting! I love it! I think I'm going to redo my home office with it!

Dog knows I could use it. I love the idea, and I love the word. Wainscotting ... Wainscotting ... Wainscotting ... sounds like a little Dorset village, doesn't it? Wainscotting.

(Cut to the village of Wains Cotting. A woman rushes out of a house.) Woman: We've been mentioned on the internet!