EasyEd
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Post by EasyEd on Nov 9, 2008 11:30:01 GMT -5
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TBird41
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Post by TBird41 on Nov 9, 2008 13:03:02 GMT -5
I'm definitely intrigued by this. Cheap electricity would help a lot.
I think it also shows that we need to keep an open mind about solving our energy problems. If we focus on one or two types (say, wind and natural gas) we might miss a black swan solution (unexpected, like mini nuclear plants)
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Nov 9, 2008 13:27:07 GMT -5
As long as they're properly regulated in terms of safety and security, I don't have any problems with it. I think these sorts of private or small scale energy schemes are an important part of the future. In the future I'd like to see more households/communities producing their own non-fossil fuel energy, either with mini-nuclear plants like these, solar panels on the roof, or other schemes. That would help a lot with energy independence, lowering oil prices, and climate change.
That said, I'll need more than an article in the Guardian to convince me of this particular project's merits. I'm not saying that I don't think it'll work, I just need more information before I pass judgment.
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TC
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Post by TC on Nov 10, 2008 0:06:24 GMT -5
How much water do these things require? And what do you do with the waste?
I keep reading about Enhanced Geothermal Systems and how with a little more R&D we could be getting baseload from geothermal. I don't know how far away it is but google.org is pretty excited about it and solar thermal.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Nov 10, 2008 11:24:57 GMT -5
Pretty awesome if true.
I have the same question on the waste issue.
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hifigator
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Post by hifigator on Nov 10, 2008 11:41:06 GMT -5
very intriguing indeed. Sounds like a great use of tax dollars finally ... a community's money is pooled, to make an affordable investment which will actually be a positive financial return for the tax paying citizens in the long run. It sounds like me might get a bit of resistance from the utility companies though.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Nov 10, 2008 11:56:16 GMT -5
Portable nukes!
Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Frank Herbert are smiling down from Heaven.
Heck, I'll bet even L. Ron Hubbard is happy in his spaceship somewhere.*
(*Side Note: I have a bet that Scientology is all a big L. Ron Hubbard prank. I'm just not sure how to prove I'm right. I suppose if I die and go to Heaven and see him there, that'll be proof enough)
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on Nov 10, 2008 12:39:55 GMT -5
Portable nukes! Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Frank Herbert are smiling down from Heaven. Heck, I'll bet even L. Ron Hubbard is happy in his spaceship somewhere.* (*Side Note: I have a bet that Scientology is all a big L. Ron Hubbard prank. I'm just not sure how to prove I'm right. I suppose if I die and go to Heaven and see him there, that'll be proof enough) I'm with you on the prank. I can just see any one of a number of science fiction writers betting that they can create a successful religion. |
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TBird41
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Post by TBird41 on Nov 10, 2008 12:50:31 GMT -5
Portable nukes! Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Frank Herbert are smiling down from Heaven. Heck, I'll bet even L. Ron Hubbard is happy in his spaceship somewhere.* (*Side Note: I have a bet that Scientology is all a big L. Ron Hubbard prank. I'm just not sure how to prove I'm right. I suppose if I die and go to Heaven and see him there, that'll be proof enough) I'm with you on the prank. I can just see any one of a number of science fiction writers betting that they can create a successful religion. That was the rumor I heard. Supposedly Hubbard and Heinlein had a bet as to who could write a book that would create a religion. Heinlein's offering was Stranger in a Strange Land. |
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SoCalHoya
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No es bueno
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Post by SoCalHoya on Nov 10, 2008 13:17:26 GMT -5
I'm very pro-nuclear energy. I think a lot of our problems in this country would be fixed with an "overproduction" of energy. I've actually been surprised that the Canadians didn't jump on board when we got scared and then sell us energy.
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EasyEd
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Post by EasyEd on Nov 10, 2008 14:20:28 GMT -5
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Bando
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Post by Bando on Nov 10, 2008 17:03:47 GMT -5
I'm actually a proponent of nuclear power, so this sounds good to me. The only thing I'm skeptical about the timetable; never trust a CEO who's telling you his firm can overcome a serious technological hurdle in a very short time. Let's see if these orders get filled on time.
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Post by redskins12820 on Nov 10, 2008 21:01:41 GMT -5
The military should take a more active approach with private industry in developing energy conservation platforms. Military developments can really aid the development of alternative fuel. I'm serious!!!
Think of all the billions of dollars being spent in Iraq on oil. Then the costs and risks associated with increasing supply chains and shipments to get fuel to the troops. Then, each platform has significant size weight and power restraints so the smaller and lighter the fuel tanks the better. Intense electronics just sap power too from these platforms which are suppossed to be able to exist on their own for extended periods of time rather than returning to base to refuel/recharge. The military is already starting to develop hybrid vehicles and top notch rechargable batteries, but I think this is only the tip of the iceberg and they could invest a lot of money that will one day pay for itself. To top this off, lots of the technology would be able to transfer to civilian life.
Or we could just steal oil
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Nov 10, 2008 22:31:16 GMT -5
The military has already done tons of work with nuclear power. Almost all of the Navy's aircraft carriers and submarines are powered by compact, reliable, and safe nuclear reactors. Unfortunately, most of the technology is still classified, so it can't transfer over to civilian projects.
It's also still very expensive. The military may be good at making a given technology effective, but they're not very good at making it cheap. The Navy found that it wasn't cost efficient to power cruisers and destroyers with nuclear power.
The Air Force also did tests with nuclear reactors on bombers, but they abandoned the idea (not sure why).
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Post by redskins12820 on Nov 10, 2008 23:38:01 GMT -5
The military has already done tons of work with nuclear power. Almost all of the Navy's aircraft carriers and submarines are powered by compact, reliable, and safe nuclear reactors. Unfortunately, most of the technology is still classified, so it can't transfer over to civilian projects. It's also still very expensive. The military may be good at making a given technology effective, but they're not very good at making it cheap. The Navy found that it wasn't cost efficient to power cruisers and destroyers with nuclear power. The Air Force also did tests with nuclear reactors on bombers, but they abandoned the idea (not sure why). I agree that it's very hard to transfer nuclear reactors from the military to the civilian side. In fact I'm not a nuclear fan period. However, I think in other energy generating areas the military can be effective at leading the way. For instance, some of the technology that is being used to create hybrid garbage trucks is also the same technology used to create ybrid equipment trucks for the military. Military also investing heavily in generators, battery technology and even getting a bit into solar |
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Nevada Hoya
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Post by Nevada Hoya on Nov 11, 2008 15:16:27 GMT -5
The article (at least the first one) didn't have too many technical details or as some have pointed out any mention about the waste. As one, who lives about 90 miles from Yucca Mtn, that has to be one of the problems I am concerned about. Not so much the storage as the shipping it here. However, I am in favor of pursuing all sorts of alternate forms of energy from SPS to nuclear.
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