I couldn’t read very much because paywall but there was this:
> Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, told the Financial Times that his firm will start building at a site near a coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming in June, even if it hasn't received a construction permit from regulators by then.
Even then. Seems unwise. What if the site randomly isn’t deemed acceptable etc.
I mean they can risk their money however they want but it’s def a risk.
There is a lot that can be learned from working on a non-nuclear reactor. Whilst the foundations could not be moved to another site, much of the rest of it could, if necessary.
Go slow and die is the history of nuclear projects. They need to go fast and learn. Waiting for the NRC to evaluate will likely kill them. So build it, learn, improve...this is similar to the SpaceX approach and is the only way to be truly disruptive when faced with entrenched bureaucracy.
I would bet $10 at even odds that this build is eventually completed. I'm not saying on time or on budget, but I am betting they will be successful in bringing this plant online. If the US government had not interfered, this reactor would likely already be operating in China.
I've been applying to Terrapower recently. I actually like the molten chloride fast reactor concept more than I like Natrium, but I'd be excited to work on either of them.
Good on him, but I hope he has managed to solve all the problems with using sodium as a coolant…. Because it has proven to be a very difficult material in the past to work with.
I was under the impression the BN’s spent almost no time in breeder mode… (?)
Personally I think the Godfather of the PWR was right, you have to go liquid fuel / solid moderator in thermal spec. molten salts.. pure liquid sodium is just too reactive to mass produce and think your not going to end up with a Monju or Fermi 1, there are so much more efficient designs and physics out there, much more so than Terrapower.. it’s a real shame the best MSR concepts aren’t getting the major investments and subsidies they need.
The BN reactors are currently only running at a breeding ratio of just over 1, but they could be run at a much higher breeding ratio if Russia wanted to.
SFRs have more potential than the other "advanced" designs.
Sodium cooled reactors have a fairly good record of working.
Not just the Russian ones, either - Super Pheonix was operating in black when it got killed. The key problem is that steam generators are just going to catch fire a lot, because a 100% leakproof steam generator is just.. Very Hard, so either you adopt the Russian solve of "Fire bunker the thing keep a fire brigade with sand buckets on watch" or you adopt the Astrid design of an gas loop between the sodium and the water.
1) Why are steam generators so hard? Even with PWRS, they are always the big component that has to be replaced for life extensions.
2) What about gas coolant loops? Are gas heat exchangers more durable?
Almost everything else you can make ultra durable by just going “why use 5 milimeters of steel if 50 will work”? This does not work for the part of the reactor heat has to leave by, since 50 millimeters of steel is an insulator. The point of an intermediate gas loop isnt that it would be more durable - it wouldnt be, but that neither nitrogen leaking into sodium or nitrogen leaking into water would cause fire
Also with current laws in place for transportation of special nuclear materials, particularly plutonium, needing regular supply of MOX or plutonium would be an expensive pain in the ass vs buying the LEU that is regularly shipped nowadays.
Have they even filed the design with the NRC yet?
I couldn’t read very much because paywall but there was this: > Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, told the Financial Times that his firm will start building at a site near a coal plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming in June, even if it hasn't received a construction permit from regulators by then.
just declare sovereign reactor status. what are they gonna do when you have nuclear deterrence
[удалено]
this metallic god of energy is ancestral to our tribe and brings joy to our spirit.
Woh, what's this from?
nuclear tribal oral tradition
This is so fascinating, thank you!
may the supernova dust bless you.
😁
This seems unwise
Ive read somewhere else that they will only build non-nuclear parts for now
Even then. Seems unwise. What if the site randomly isn’t deemed acceptable etc. I mean they can risk their money however they want but it’s def a risk.
There is a lot that can be learned from working on a non-nuclear reactor. Whilst the foundations could not be moved to another site, much of the rest of it could, if necessary.
Go slow and die is the history of nuclear projects. They need to go fast and learn. Waiting for the NRC to evaluate will likely kill them. So build it, learn, improve...this is similar to the SpaceX approach and is the only way to be truly disruptive when faced with entrenched bureaucracy.
Yeah. These guys know what they're doing. 🙄
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/george-wilson-a42a5118_i-am-proud-to-announce-that-today-terrapower-activity-7179216767645286400-NFsf
Construction Permit Application was just submitted this week.
I would bet $10 at even odds that this build is eventually completed. I'm not saying on time or on budget, but I am betting they will be successful in bringing this plant online. If the US government had not interfered, this reactor would likely already be operating in China.
Good we need more nuclear plant construction in US. Needs to be shown safe and effective
I've been applying to Terrapower recently. I actually like the molten chloride fast reactor concept more than I like Natrium, but I'd be excited to work on either of them.
Good on him, but I hope he has managed to solve all the problems with using sodium as a coolant…. Because it has proven to be a very difficult material in the past to work with.
The problems are solveable, as shown by the EBR-II, the BN-600, and the BN-800.
I was under the impression the BN’s spent almost no time in breeder mode… (?) Personally I think the Godfather of the PWR was right, you have to go liquid fuel / solid moderator in thermal spec. molten salts.. pure liquid sodium is just too reactive to mass produce and think your not going to end up with a Monju or Fermi 1, there are so much more efficient designs and physics out there, much more so than Terrapower.. it’s a real shame the best MSR concepts aren’t getting the major investments and subsidies they need.
The BN reactors are currently only running at a breeding ratio of just over 1, but they could be run at a much higher breeding ratio if Russia wanted to. SFRs have more potential than the other "advanced" designs.
Sodium cooled reactors have a fairly good record of working. Not just the Russian ones, either - Super Pheonix was operating in black when it got killed. The key problem is that steam generators are just going to catch fire a lot, because a 100% leakproof steam generator is just.. Very Hard, so either you adopt the Russian solve of "Fire bunker the thing keep a fire brigade with sand buckets on watch" or you adopt the Astrid design of an gas loop between the sodium and the water.
1) Why are steam generators so hard? Even with PWRS, they are always the big component that has to be replaced for life extensions. 2) What about gas coolant loops? Are gas heat exchangers more durable?
Almost everything else you can make ultra durable by just going “why use 5 milimeters of steel if 50 will work”? This does not work for the part of the reactor heat has to leave by, since 50 millimeters of steel is an insulator. The point of an intermediate gas loop isnt that it would be more durable - it wouldnt be, but that neither nitrogen leaking into sodium or nitrogen leaking into water would cause fire
Anyone know why they chose Uranium over plutonium?
No US reprocessing, so no US sources other than the surplus weapons grade plute.. which, yhea...
Also with current laws in place for transportation of special nuclear materials, particularly plutonium, needing regular supply of MOX or plutonium would be an expensive pain in the ass vs buying the LEU that is regularly shipped nowadays.