Nuclear Power

Fourstaff · 03-16-2011, 04:26 PM

Don't know whether this has been started or not, but I think its a good time to discuss:

Do you believe in Nuclear Power?

For me, I have pretty much always supported nuclear power, to varying degrees depending on my mood/knowledge. I believe nuclear power is one of the greatest scientific advancements, and to ignore/suppress it is to do mankind a great disservice. Nuclear power is very clean, and the only problem I can see is waste disposal, itself not that big of a problem and as time goes by and better waste disposal methods can be adopted. Sure, there are alternatives, but other than fossil fuel, most of the others are at best unreliable (except for solar), at worst more destructive than fossil fuel (current biofuels). The alternative/renewable energy sources, in my opinion, will not be able to fill the gap between falling fossil fuel production and increasing power demand.

twilyth · 03-16-2011, 04:31 PM

Pebble bed reactors are air cooled and it is virtually impossible for them to melt down. However the energy density is much lower so you need more of them for the same output.

Nuclear is safe if you have rigorously enforced design and maintenance requirements.

France reprocesses their fuel so there is less waste to dispose of. Salt mines tend to geologically stable and together with properly designed casks should provide for safe disposal.

Magibeg · 03-16-2011, 04:31 PM

Nuclear power is a great way to get energy so long as proper precautions are taken to prevent damage during a meltdown.

Reactors of old are not the same as reactors of new.

WhiteLotus · 03-16-2011, 04:56 PM

Why would you not want to move away from coal to a cleaner, more efficient power source?

jmcslob · 03-16-2011, 06:21 PM

Accidents suck ass but Nuclear is still th way to go

hellrazor · 03-16-2011, 07:05 PM

You know what, a 40 year old reactor got hit by a 9 earthquake and ravaged by a tsunami and it has yet to melt down (as far as I'm aware).

+1 to nuclear power for being awesome in all circumstances.

Polaris573 · 03-16-2011, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twilyth

Pebble bed reactors are air cooled and it is virtually impossible for them to melt down. However the energy density is much lower so you need more of them for the same output.

Nuclear is safe if you have rigorously enforced design and maintenance requirements.

France reprocesses their fuel so there is less waste to dispose of. Salt mines tend to geologically stable and together with properly designed casks should provide for safe disposal.

I'm so glad that was the second post and that someone else is aware of pebble bed reactors.

Fourstaff · 03-16-2011, 11:36 PM

Who is that combo breaker?

Polaris, in case you are wondering, a short trip to Wiki will give you a good picture in the current state of nuclear power generation.

twilyth · 03-17-2011, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourstaff

Who is that combo breaker?

Polaris, in case you are wondering, a short trip to Wiki will give you a good picture in the current state of nuclear power generation.

Even the wiki entry doesn't talk about pebble beds - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power

You have to go here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_bed_reactor

Namslas90 · 03-17-2011, 12:45 AM

If we put more research dollars into Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators, we could eventually go to the hardware store and buy a battery for our house or car for a few hundred bucks and it would last for years.

Jizzler · 03-17-2011, 01:09 AM

I don't have any problem with Nuclear. Hell, I wish I could afford one of those 50kW mini-nukes. Last 40 years with a refill every 10? If only I had 10 million dollars....

de.das.dude · 03-17-2011, 03:00 PM

apparently 90% of the people dont know HOW FUCKING DANGEROUS RADIATION IS.
u cant see it you cant feel it and it dont even kill u. it fucks u up.
it the best ninja around.

and it is really really reallt hard to contain radiation, no matter how easy they all make it sound like.

TheMailMan · 03-17-2011, 05:19 PM

I wish solar was more efficient. I mean living in Florida you feel the heat and sun and I gotta tell you there is a ton of energy that seems wasted IMO. Another option I wish they would explore is hydro. Ocean currents never stop moving and could turn some serious turbines if setup correctly.

Of course I'm talking out of my ass here but hey in sci-fi it works lol. Until then I'm all for nukes man. KA-BOOOM!

Frick · 03-17-2011, 05:23 PM

When I was a kid I read a lot of books from the atom age and how awesome the future would be because of nuclear power. And now it's 2011 and I don't have my nuclear powered car yet.

de.das.dude · 03-17-2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMailMan

I wish solar was more efficient. I mean living in Florida you feel the heat and sun and I gotta tell you there is a ton of energy that seems wasted IMO. Another option I wish they would explore is hydro. Ocean currents never stop moving and could turn some serious turbines if setup correctly.

solar is awesome. but disrupting currents is not goot idea. will affect a lot of things.

wind should be used a lot. and solar. and cow turd. :P

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frick

When I was a kid I read a lot of books from the atom age and how awesome the future would be because of nuclear power. And now it's 2011 and I don't have my nuclear powered car yet.

TheMailMan · 03-17-2011, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by de.das.dude

solar is awesome. but disrupting currents is not goot idea. will affect a lot of things.

wind should be used a lot. and solar. and cow turd. :P

Wind is shit. Hydro and solar are reliable. Wind isn't.

Delta6326 · 03-17-2011, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMailMan

Wind is shit. Hydro and solar are reliable. Wind isn't.

You should come to Iowa and see are wind farms...

Oh look theeres one now oh wait NM it's getting a tune-up

Oh another one oh dang its not spinning

I agree with you.

Frick · 03-17-2011, 08:14 PM

I love wind power, they look so futuristic.

FordGT90Concept · 03-17-2011, 08:22 PM

There's nothing left to dam in most of the developed world for hydropower. All we can do is retrofit existing dams to produce power but, for the most part, they won't produce much power for the effort.

Solar doesn't work too good when it is cloudy and they don't work at all at night. They also require exotic materials that aren't exactly abundant.

Wind is only good for small applications like running a non-critical pump or reducing an electric bill. It is not suitable for grid supply because it isn't often available when it is needed, it scars the land, and it generates a lot of noise pollution.

The alternative to nuclear is coal and nuclear, despite the possibility of meltdown, is still more environmentally friendly than coal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frick

When I was a kid I read a lot of books from the atom age and how awesome the future would be because of nuclear power. And now it's 2011 and I don't have my nuclear powered car yet.

Ford Nucleon

The reason why nuclear powered cars are virtually nonexistant because who would want to have a meltdown everytime there was a car crash?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frick

I love wind power, they look so futuristic.

Wind looks like late 20th century. The Z-Machine looks futuristic (used to study nuclear fusion among other things):

TheMailMan · 03-17-2011, 08:29 PM

Solar in some areas would be perfect if it were more efficient man. Florida is a prime example. I'm not saying cold turkey from nuclear but the clouds being an excuse is a crappy one. There are houses all around me with solar panels on them. Their electric bill is about 1/4th mine. Yeah.....Ive compared. If they were more efficient and could store for longer periods of time they could cut off the city power completely.

FordGT90Concept · 03-17-2011, 08:35 PM

Bet they don't have batteries. The only reason why solar works at all is because there's coal and nuclear to keep the juice flowing when the sun is down.

TheMailMan · 03-17-2011, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordGT90Concept

Bet they don't have batteries. The only reason why solar works at all is because there's coal and nuclear to keep the juice flowing when the sun is down.

They do. Just not more the 8 hours worth. With better storage and efficiency they would be self sustained.

skellattarr · 03-17-2011, 08:42 PM

lets all go back to candles and fireplaces and horse and buggy that will be safe lol

TheMailMan · 03-17-2011, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skellattarr

lets all go back to candles and fireplaces and horse and buggy that will be safe lol

The great Chicago fire says different....

FordGT90Concept · 03-17-2011, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMailMan

They do. Just not more the 8 hours worth. With better storage and efficiency they would be self sustained.

Not to mention the replacement costs every 5-10 years.

View Poll Results: Widespread adoption of Nuclear Power?
Yes!	35	87.50%
Formerly yes, but now not too sure	1	2.50%
No!	2	5.00%
Don't really care	2	5.00%
Voters: 40. You may not vote on this poll

03-16-2011, 04:26 PM	#1
Fourstaff Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 792 Thanks: 37 Thanked 236 Times in 174 Posts Dislikes: 1 Disliked 1 Time in 1 Post	Nuclear Power Don't know whether this has been started or not, but I think its a good time to discuss: Do you believe in Nuclear Power? For me, I have pretty much always supported nuclear power, to varying degrees depending on my mood/knowledge. I believe nuclear power is one of the greatest scientific advancements, and to ignore/suppress it is to do mankind a great disservice. Nuclear power is very clean, and the only problem I can see is waste disposal, itself not that big of a problem and as time goes by and better waste disposal methods can be adopted. Sure, there are alternatives, but other than fossil fuel, most of the others are at best unreliable (except for solar), at worst more destructive than fossil fuel (current biofuels). The alternative/renewable energy sources, in my opinion, will not be able to fill the gap between falling fossil fuel production and increasing power demand.

03-16-2011, 06:21 PM	#5
jmcslob Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 9,584 Thanks: 5,355 Thanked 4,697 Times in 2,732 Posts Dislikes: 31 Disliked 75 Times in 61 Posts	Accidents suck ass but Nuclear is still th way to go __________________ Yes, SK-1 I was probably using a Hyperbole or just felt like being facetious....

03-17-2011, 08:29 PM	#20
TheMailMan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Miami FL. Posts: 2,820 Thanks: 305 Thanked 1,602 Times in 876 Posts Dislikes: 11 Disliked 25 Times in 23 Posts	Solar in some areas would be perfect if it were more efficient man. Florida is a prime example. I'm not saying cold turkey from nuclear but the clouds being an excuse is a crappy one. There are houses all around me with solar panels on them. Their electric bill is about 1/4th mine. Yeah.....Ive compared. If they were more efficient and could store for longer periods of time they could cut off the city power completely. Last edited by TheMailMan; 03-17-2011 at 08:32 PM.

03-17-2011, 08:35 PM	#21
FordGT90Concept Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: IA, USA Posts: 18,436 Thanks: 5,020 Thanked 4,977 Times in 3,394 Posts Dislikes: 133 Disliked 139 Times in 129 Posts	Bet they don't have batteries. The only reason why solar works at all is because there's coal and nuclear to keep the juice flowing when the sun is down. __________________ Doc, note: I dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod. . --Professor Peter Hilton

03-16-2011, 04:31 PM	#2
twilyth Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,280 Thanks: 7,402 Thanked 5,579 Times in 3,287 Posts Dislikes: 165 Disliked 124 Times in 107 Posts	Pebble bed reactors are air cooled and it is virtually impossible for them to melt down. However the energy density is much lower so you need more of them for the same output. Nuclear is safe if you have rigorously enforced design and maintenance requirements. France reprocesses their fuel so there is less waste to dispose of. Salt mines tend to geologically stable and together with properly designed casks should provide for safe disposal.

03-16-2011, 04:31 PM	#3
Magibeg Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 2,108 Thanks: 476 Thanked 1,222 Times in 681 Posts Dislikes: 2 Disliked 25 Times in 22 Posts	Nuclear power is a great way to get energy so long as proper precautions are taken to prevent damage during a meltdown. Reactors of old are not the same as reactors of new.

03-16-2011, 04:56 PM	#4
WhiteLotus Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 4,638 Thanks: 418 Thanked 1,654 Times in 1,019 Posts Dislikes: 27 Disliked 46 Times in 40 Posts	Why would you not want to move away from coal to a cleaner, more efficient power source?

03-16-2011, 07:05 PM	#6
hellrazor Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,850 Thanks: 3,654 Thanked 1,941 Times in 719 Posts Dislikes: 53 Disliked 17 Times in 16 Posts	You know what, a 40 year old reactor got hit by a 9 earthquake and ravaged by a tsunami and it has yet to melt down (as far as I'm aware). +1 to nuclear power for being awesome in all circumstances.

03-16-2011, 11:36 PM	#8
Fourstaff Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 792 Thanks: 37 Thanked 236 Times in 174 Posts Dislikes: 1 Disliked 1 Time in 1 Post	Who is that combo breaker? Polaris, in case you are wondering, a short trip to Wiki will give you a good picture in the current state of nuclear power generation.

03-17-2011, 12:45 AM	#10
Namslas90 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Earth(Ithink) Posts: 163 Thanks: 33 Thanked 48 Times in 36 Posts Dislikes: 0 Disliked 0 Times in 0 Posts	If we put more research dollars into Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators, we could eventually go to the hardware store and buy a battery for our house or car for a few hundred bucks and it would last for years.

03-17-2011, 01:09 AM	#11
Jizzler Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Geneva, Florida, USA Posts: 520 Thanks: 109 Thanked 300 Times in 183 Posts Dislikes: 4 Disliked 4 Times in 3 Posts	I don't have any problem with Nuclear. Hell, I wish I could afford one of those 50kW mini-nukes. Last 40 years with a refill every 10? If only I had 10 million dollars....

03-17-2011, 03:00 PM	#12
de.das.dude Banned Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Wild Wild West Posts: 8,535 Thanks: 3,338 Thanked 77 Times in 54 Posts Dislikes: 256 Disliked 740 Times in 518 Posts	apparently 90% of the people dont know HOW FUCKING DANGEROUS RADIATION IS. u cant see it you cant feel it and it dont even kill u. it fucks u up. it the best ninja around. and it is really really reallt hard to contain radiation, no matter how easy they all make it sound like.

03-17-2011, 05:19 PM	#13
TheMailMan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Miami FL. Posts: 2,820 Thanks: 305 Thanked 1,602 Times in 876 Posts Dislikes: 11 Disliked 25 Times in 23 Posts	I wish solar was more efficient. I mean living in Florida you feel the heat and sun and I gotta tell you there is a ton of energy that seems wasted IMO. Another option I wish they would explore is hydro. Ocean currents never stop moving and could turn some serious turbines if setup correctly. Of course I'm talking out of my ass here but hey in sci-fi it works lol. Until then I'm all for nukes man. KA-BOOOM!

03-17-2011, 05:23 PM	#14
Frick Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,398 Thanks: 289 Thanked 1,207 Times in 678 Posts Dislikes: 5 Disliked 75 Times in 39 Posts	When I was a kid I read a lot of books from the atom age and how awesome the future would be because of nuclear power. And now it's 2011 and I don't have my nuclear powered car yet.

03-17-2011, 08:14 PM	#18
Frick Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,398 Thanks: 289 Thanked 1,207 Times in 678 Posts Dislikes: 5 Disliked 75 Times in 39 Posts	I love wind power, they look so futuristic.

03-17-2011, 08:42 PM	#23
skellattarr Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 647 Thanks: 29 Thanked 157 Times in 84 Posts Dislikes: 2 Disliked 5 Times in 5 Posts	lets all go back to candles and fireplaces and horse and buggy that will be safe lol

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