🚀 go-pugleaf

In a previous article, ems@michael.apple.com (E. Michael Smith) wrote:
>In article <22JAN93.09072878@cc4.crl.aecl.ca> camerond@cc4.crl.aecl.ca writes:
> 
> 
>>It is true that the SuperPheonix has had some technical problems, but it is
>>not obvious that they could not be overcome in that reactor or successors,
>>if there were still the same drive and commitment to the concept. 
> 
>Ahh, no it wasn't all.  So what were the technical problems?  I fully
>expect that breeders will be needed in my lifetime, so I'm more than
>a little interested in knowing if it was a trivial failure or if the
>technical issues ran deeper...  (in other words, mis-sizing a motor
>or faster than expected burnup wouldn't worry me; but a problem with
>the fundamental reprocessing technology requiring a whole new approach
>would argue for building a new research plant now.  (Given the lead times
>involved in R&D ...)).
> 
>-- 
> 
>E. Michael Smith  ems@apple.COM
> 
>'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has
> genius, power and magic in it.'  -  Goethe
> 
>I am not responsible nor is anyone else.  Everything is disclaimed.

The scientific viability of fast reactor technology has, I feel, been 
adequately demonstrated.  High plutonium content, high burn-up fuels have 
been successfully made and used, the science and engineering of fuel
reprocessing is obviously doable, or else there would not be so many
nuclear weapons in existence, and the French do have a plant in operation
that vitrifies the high level waste from fuel reprocessing.

The problems with SuperPheonix are largely associated with the use
of liquid sodium as a coolant.  These problems are of an engineering
nature, rather than fundamental and should be soluble given enough 
effort.  I would refer you to a posting of 93/01/26 by Joseph Askew, who
originally raised this issue on the net, in which he gives further 
details of the technology and agrees with my view that the technical
issues can probably be overcome.

However, there is currently no strong economic incentive to push the 
technology.

Don Cameron