Nuclear power

[STONEISLAND]

Just as long as I switch the plug on, and I have power I dont care.....

[AndrewJ]

I do care a bit, I am concerend over the post of.

You do know the rods they use are also running out?

Scott care to explain, I was under the assumption that rods was man made, .

Sadly I never got involved with Fission, and mainly went in and still am learning Fusion and other magentic forms of energy.

As well as forms of astronomy which I learn as a hobby.

[punky]

I am suprised by the support of nuclear power. I'd thought more people would be against it.

Wind and solar power are nowhere efficient enough to be commercially viable. At their current rate of development (not really through lack of funding) they never will be.

Nuclear power is safe as long as you have people who know what they are doing, and enough funding to safely maintain the plant. The trouble starts when you have 2nd world countries running plants (Chernobyl), and God forbid, 3rd world countries, who have to skimp on safety measures and technicians. I should add that 3 Mile Island was a long time ago, and didn't result in any deaths or injuries. Things have changed.

Unless some miracle appears (cold fusion?), then traditional nuclear is the only real way forward.

[SMHarman]

It is perverse that we are switchin off our Nuclear capability and buying more power from France that is nuclear generated.

For it, just needs those running the plant to have sufficient autonomy and sufficient budget to run the plant.

Originally Posted by AndrewJames

Scott care to explain, I was under the assumption that rods was man made, .

The rods are made out of Uranium, something with have to dig up.

[AndrewJ]

There is alot of talk about Fusion within my friends, apparantly France has decided they may go it alone and test the reactors if the EU people keep mucking about, and as Japan who is eager to test the reactors and help get it stable.

The debate was on BBC a short while ago, while we don't hear much about it in todays press, I do follow a group e-mail from a private group I am involved with on MSN, who are saying things are moving on, and we are not that far off perhaps 20 years or just a bit more, but we are so close its not worth stopping now.

If just IF some country perhaps gets it right before then, aint all this works worth it? Even if we are researching it in 2045, we will still be getting somewhere, rather then giving up and backing down because " it will never work".

I think nuclear has its place in the mix of different electricity producing methods at our disposal. That means I should vote 'no never' in the poll, because the question is should we move entirely to nuclear, but I haven't voted because to vote for 'no, never' would give a misleading impression of what I think.

[keithwalton]

Originally Posted by Scott

The rods are made out of Uranium, something with have to dig up.

Err control rods are mostly Boron these days, that and cadmium. No real shortage in either of those i dont think, nor the raw Uranium or Plutoniam reactents

[AndrewJ]

Originally Posted by Scott

The rods are made out of Uranium, something with have to dig up.

____________

Originally Posted by keithwalton

Err control rods are mostly Boron these days, that and cadmium. No real shortage in either of those i dont think, nor the raw Uranium or Plutoniam reactents

The plot thickens.

I have not studied Fision Nuclear side as I stated in another thread, but what is the difference here, I assume one is natural and the other is man made.

[kronas]

what about hydro electricty ?

[AndrewJ]

its a thought but again its the amount of demand on the system, I think hydro was tested in Wales in places and failed due to it not being consistent enough.

However some boffin once asked why we dont place a turbine in the ocean, and draw electric from the Ocean's currents.

Originally Posted by kronas

what about hydro electricty ?

Not enough highspeed rivers in the UK.

[AndrewJ]

Originally Posted by Scott

Not enough highspeed rivers in the UK.

plenty of sea though eh ?

[keithwalton]

Both are refined from there raw elements into rods, basically the control rod's job is to absorb and dissipate neutrons.
Neutrons are basically what make the reaction continue, to many and it'll run out of control, eventually overheat and cause a big mess. To little and the reaction will stall.
Nearly all nuclear incidents have resulted from control rod issues. Either mechanical failure, or operational error. (Usually in the case of managers demanding the imposible and things being pushed beyond there safe limits by people not fully versed in the technology)

[AndrewJ]

The old cooperate bug of profit over thought.