NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
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Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#2I wonder if it can operate in zero g...
Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#3On resiliency “cutting off the system's cooling or ramping it up to its maximum level both resulted in a core temperature change of just 15 degrees or less”
Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#4What would the effects be of releasing nuclear waste in space? Could we sent up all of our nuclear waste, put a rocket on it and just let it disappear into the distance?
Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#5What would the effects be of releasing nuclear waste in space? Could we sent up all of our nuclear waste, put a rocket on it and just let it disappear into the distance?
I think the drawback for space disposal is the risk of rocket failure. If a rocket explodes with nuclear waste on board, the waste would spread over a large area. It's safer at the moment to consolidate nuclear waste in small areas away from civilization.
Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#6What would the effects be of releasing nuclear waste in space? Could we sent up all of our nuclear waste, put a rocket on it and just let it disappear into the distance?
You would need a huge fleet of huge rockets to do that. Of the order of 50 Saturn V - sized rockets per year just to keep up with the current production of nuclear waste. And about 1000 of them to get rid of what we accumulated so far. Only 13 Saturn V’s have ever been launched.
Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#7For those curious, this uses a nuclear reactor to power a Stirling engine.Stirling engines are a good choice because there is no mass transfer to create the work (i.e. no fuel needed, just heat). It only needs a temperature differential and sealed gas/liquid to work. I highly recommend to read more about Stirling engines since they are of one the most efficient form of work generation with just a temperature differential.
Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#8Conspicuously not mentioned: what kind of design the reactor uses. Thanks engadget, 10/10 reporting.
Based on the wikipedia article, it looks like a passive decay heater attached to a bunch of sterling engines. Pretty much a souped up RTG that trades more energy output for having moving parts. Neat.
Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#9What would the effects be of releasing nuclear waste in space? Could we sent up all of our nuclear waste, put a rocket on it and just let it disappear into the distance?
How about just sending it to the moon instead? Perhaps then we could use the moon as a giant space ship by blowing up the nuclear waste?
Re: NASA completes full-power tests of small, portable nuclear reactor
#10I wonder if it can operate in zero g...
That is in fact precisely what it is designed for.