Distributed "Nuclear Batteries" the New Infrastructure Answer? 611
thepacketmaster writes "The Star reports about a new power generation model using smaller distributed power generators located closer to the consumer. This saves money on power generation lines and creates an infrastructure that can be more easily expanded with smaller incremental steps, compared to bigger centralized power generation projects. The generators in line for this are green sources, but Hyperion Power Generation, NuScale, Adams Atomic Engines (and some other companies) are offering small nuclear reactors to plug into this type of infrastructure. The generator from Hyperion is about the size of a garden shed, and uses older technology that is not capable of creating nuclear warheads, and supposedly self-regulating so it won't go critical. They envision burying reactors near the consumers for 5-10 years, digging them back up and recycling them. Since they are so low maintenance and self-contained, they are calling them nuclear batteries."
Sexay! (Score:5, Funny)
Three-headed fish coming to a pond near you!
Rapid discharge nuclear battery... (Score:3, Funny)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/images/w87-design.jpg [globalsecurity.org]
reading is hard.... (Score:4, Funny)
I think that you'd have to be realy drunk to drive 75mph UNDERGROUND.
Re:why not just do this with solar. (Score:3, Funny)
The generator from Hyperion is about the size of a garden shed, and uses older technology that is not capable of creating nuclear warheads, and supposedly self-regulating so it won't go critical.
I like this concept. *cough* Get something that could meltdown, but lets just bury it and forget about it, cause everyone makes things that just don't fail. What's the worst that could happen if it DOES fail?
The lights go out, but it's okay, because everyone glows...
Re:Need more guarantees than that (Score:2, Funny)
Suicide with a gun is extremely effective and clean (compared to with a knife).
Re:why not just do this with solar. (Score:5, Funny)
I like this concept. *cough* Get something that could meltdown,
Better get that cough looked at, might be from the local coal plant.
Re:Didn't the Russians do this? (Score:4, Funny)
> the travellers slept by them for the tens of thousands of watts of heat they throw off
When I travel in cold climates I often like to sleep next to tens of thousands of watts of heat. Really takes the edge of a frosty night. Of course I'll sleep by megawatts of heat if I can find it, for a real warm night.
Re:Smells like bologna (Score:3, Funny)
Put on a Hank Paulson mask!
Thank you, thank you, I'm here all week before I head out to Vegas for a show at MGM..
Re:What about the "Not in my backyard" folks? (Score:3, Funny)
My backyard is already full of dead bodies. If I bury a nuke back there, the radiation will turn them all into zombies.
And I bet they would be *real* hungry after they clawed their way above ground.
Re:Need more guarantees than that (Score:3, Funny)
Suicide with a gun is extremely effective and clean (compared to with a knife).
I'm not convinced. Why don't you demonstrate it for us?