🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1052@elmgate.UUCP> maa@elmgate.UUCP (Mark Armstrong SOFT) writes:
}... Just buy the wife a lead jacket when she does the laundry in the
}basement in case those nasty radioactive stuff happens to leak.

First, there's nothing radioactive to leak.  The working fluids are all
quite safe.  Only the shielding will become radioactive, if there's
significant neutron emission.

Second, why put one in the basement?  I'd expect mine to be buried a ways
down under my back yard.

}Why do you think it would be more efficient to produce your own electricity
}instead of buying it from utilities?? What would be the cost of such system,
}$5,000 sounds realistic. ...

That's about what I cost it out to.  I'd cheerfully pay $5000 to be energy
independent.

}... How about maintanence cost, $500 per year. ...

A quart of heavy water has enough energy to power my house for the rest of
my life and beyond.  The only moving parts are in the generator (probably
a stirling cycle engine.  Steam turbines aren't efficient enough at that
scale).  Under current law, the utilities are required to buy any excess
power I can generate and put on the grid.  I'll bet I can break even on
maintenance just doing that.

}... What about
}the radioactive waste, I guess we could water the lawn with it.  This is
}reality.

What radioactive waste?  The inside of some of the shielding may get a
little hot, assuming neutron emission is a problem, but it's several feet
of solid lead and reinforced concrete, buried under ground.  The working
fluids pose no hazard.  If (worst case) an earthquake breaks the whole
thing open I'll have a nasty, expensive clean up job (for which I'll carry
insurance), but the general environment won't be damaged.

-- 
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, hollombe@ttidca.tti.com)  Illegitimati Nil
Citicorp(+)TTI                                                 Carborundum
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (213) 452-9191, x2483
Santa Monica, CA  90405 {csun|philabs|psivax}!ttidca!hollombe