Slashdot Mirror


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."

2 of 791 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I've got mine on pre-order. by Sylver+Dragon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They satisfy all three of your requirements.

    Not quite true, I have most of my apartment converted to the spiral flouresent bulbs, the one exception is the light in my bedroom. The reason I haven't converted my bedroom is that the compact floresent bulbs do have a 1 to 2 second startup delay, and I suffer from night-terrors. My fiance needs to be able to get a light on immediatly when I go into one of those, as its the only thing that snaps me out of them. Considering that I have been know to both do damage to the room, and to attack her during a night-terror, we both want to have no delay in getting that light on.
    But, other than that one light, ya, compact floresent bulbs for the rest of the place, they are cheaper to run, and personally, I prefer the light they give out.

    --
    Necessity is the mother of invention.
    Laziness is the father.
  2. Re:Arrogance by Politburo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As for countries like Iran, Hussein's Iraq, Pakistan, etc, they were broken up for a reason. Very simply: we can't trust them as far as we can kick them. September 11 only proves that.

    Odd. You don't mention either of the two countries that actually had anything to do with September 11: Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.