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Atomic Energy Question
Mar. 17th, 2011 10:55 amLike most technical-minded people, I've been spending some time looking at alternative reactors. You know, ones that don't melt down when the coolant is lost. Via Rand Simberg, I got this link to newer nuclear reactors that might not have failed.
It's an interesting read, and the author talks about (among other things) pebble bed reactors, which appear to be a promising technology. However, the author says that pebble bed reactors are the same size as conventional ones but generate 1/10th the power.
As it happens, in my upcoming novel Pirates of Mars I have a spaceship powered by a pressurized water reactor, and I have a throwaway line to the effect of steam has more power density than pebble bed technology. I didn't know that was true - I made it up, and I assumed the difference (if any) would be minor - not a factor of ten.
As it happens, I've not been able to find anybody else making the "10 times less" comparison. I have been able to find Adams Atomic Engines which is proposing a 20 MW unit for ocean ship propulsion that would fit in a standard shipping container. That certainly doesn't sound like a low-density power source.
So, does anybody reading this blog actually know what the relative power densities of these reactors would be?
It's an interesting read, and the author talks about (among other things) pebble bed reactors, which appear to be a promising technology. However, the author says that pebble bed reactors are the same size as conventional ones but generate 1/10th the power.
As it happens, in my upcoming novel Pirates of Mars I have a spaceship powered by a pressurized water reactor, and I have a throwaway line to the effect of steam has more power density than pebble bed technology. I didn't know that was true - I made it up, and I assumed the difference (if any) would be minor - not a factor of ten.
As it happens, I've not been able to find anybody else making the "10 times less" comparison. I have been able to find Adams Atomic Engines which is proposing a 20 MW unit for ocean ship propulsion that would fit in a standard shipping container. That certainly doesn't sound like a low-density power source.
So, does anybody reading this blog actually know what the relative power densities of these reactors would be?
