Nuclear power

[freebeard]

My own post at #96 (05-04-2023, 08:20 PM) blew mind tiny, shiny human brain again.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

My own post at #96 (05-04-2023, 08:20 PM) blew mind tiny, shiny human brain again.

The blinky Russian blew your mind?

I'll make an ignorant WAG prediction that Sterling engines will have little to do with the future. This is based on the current reality that the Peltier effect hasn't mattered much this far.

*I'm one of those that wasted money on Peltier CPU cooling back in the day.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

The mindless argument I always hear is nuclear costs too much.
Which is a hilarious argument when money is the ultimate renewable resource, governments simply "print" as much as they want.
As we know Germanys green leap backwards has been blowing up the price of electricity.

Good example of how not to do it. Greentard energy costs too much and it sucks.

But France has more green energy than germany.

And france aren't turning coal fired power plants back on.

Here's what happens when your power grid is flooded with cheap reliable predictable electricity versus some what clean electricity that works when it wants and dirty energy has to react quickly to keep the power grid from collapsing.

Twice as green, costs half as much.
This is the way.

The fact is that, the 'smartest guys in the room' can't figure out how to make it economical, otherwise, investors and venture capitalists would be all over it.
It's Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' doing exactly as predicted.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

The blinky Russian blew your mind?

Now I suppose I will notice he's blinky.

[QUOTE]I'll make an ignorant WAG prediction that Sterling engines will have little to do with the future.[/QUOTE

Ingorant or slyly prescient? It's spelled Stirling.

aerohead: They're working on it.

Mass-produced floating nuclear reactors use super-safe molten salt fuel
The Seaborg reactor is small enough to fit in a shipping container, making it remarkably easy to move around even for ground installations. It'll run for around 12 years without refueling.

Tiny nukes on trucks: Sub-20 megawatt reactors to power remote areas
Mar 6, 2024The Zeus nuclear reactor is only a shipping container. Image credit: Nano Nuclear Energy. Haleu fuel and new reactor. Small modular reactors use high-assay, low-enriched uranium (Haleu) fuel that ...

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by aerohead

The fact is that, the 'smartest guys in the room' can't figure out how to make it economical, otherwise, investors and venture capitalists would be all over it.
It's Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' doing exactly as predicted.

You forget that the US government wastes hundreds of billions of dollars per year on nothing. Money is the ultimate renewable resource, the government can print and steal as much as they need.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Now I suppose I will notice he's blinky.

"I'll make an ignorant WAG prediction that Sterling engines will have little to do with the future."

Ingorant or slyly prescient? It's spelled Stirling.

The technology is mature, and yet barely impacts our lives as it is. My prediction is based on if a thing has existed a long time, didn't do much, then it will continue to not do much.

I do appreciate that the gas valve on my fireplace operates with a flick of a switch even when the power is out. It wouldn't put me out much to turn a valve on manually and click a piezo igniter though.

[aerohead]

[QUOTE=freebeard;695438]Now I suppose I will notice he's blinky.

I'll make an ignorant WAG prediction that Sterling engines will have little to do with the future.[/QUOTE

Ingorant or slyly prescient? It's spelled Stirling.

aerohead: They're working on it.

The 'market' will decide it's success of failure.
Many potential 'customers' will have the option of developing out 'free' 'domestically-sourced' solar or wind 'fuel', as opposed to 'imported' nuclear fuel, of uncertain price volatility and supply, and of which they have no control.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

The technology is mature, and yet barely impacts our lives as it is. My prediction is based on if a thing has existed a long time, didn't do much, then it will continue to not do much.

I do appreciate that the gas valve on my fireplace operates with a flick of a switch even when the power is out. It wouldn't put me out much to turn a valve on manually and click a piezo igniter though.

A couple years ago, when we had our big freeze, not only did the electrical grid go down, the natural gas infrastructure 'froze' as well.
Hundreds froze to death on their homes.
Hence 'propane' and 'butane' for the GENERAC.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Hence 'propane' and 'butane' for the GENERAC.

It's common to freeze here, so the infrastructure is built to operate under those conditions. It was the freeze that took out power here for a week, but the gas kept flowing. Hot showers, cooking, heating, cloths drying (with a small generator).

My ideal would be a connection to the natural gas line for the generator, which can also operate on propane. They make tri-fuel carbs that allow for one to switch as needed.

I like that natural gas is dirt cheap and doesn't need to be filled.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

It's common to freeze here, so the infrastructure is built to operate under those conditions. It was the freeze that took out power here for a week, but the gas kept flowing. Hot showers, cooking, heating, cloths drying (with a small generator).

My ideal would be a connection to the natural gas line for the generator, which can also operate on propane. They make tri-fuel carbs that allow for one to switch as needed.

I like that natural gas is dirt cheap and doesn't need to be filled.

My brother in Nevada has an old Onan, 1,800 rpm monster hooked up to natural gas, and has had to use it.
'Heat' hasn't been an issue for me. I did buy the largest JACKERY, battery-synthesized pure sinewave unit, for light, radio, refrigerator, TV, etc.. And I can operate power tools remotely on our 40-acres of park and trails, plus take it camping.
Tokyo has a hotel which can run off the Nissan LEAFs parked outside.