Adams Engines™: Design Concepts

In the spring of 1991, I began contemplating ways to combine the benefits of gas turbine power plants with the incredible advantages of nuclear fuels like uranium, plutonium and thorium. That effort has continued sporadically for many years with many interesting impacts on my life. It was impetus for a small modular reactor start-up company…

Turning nuclear into a fuel dominated business

Under our current energy paradigm, nuclear power has the reputation of needing enormous up-front capital investments. Once those investments have been made and the plants are complete, the payoff is that they have low recurring fuel costs. Just the opposite is said of simple cycle natural gas fired combustion turbines. They require a small capital…

Diamond batteries would turn C-14 into a valuable byproduct of Adams Engines

Researchers at the University of Bristol have excited geeks around the world by announcing they had successfully demonstrated artificial diamonds that produce an electrical current when exposed to radiation. Their research has been inspired by a fact that is almost unique to the UK. There is a large stockpile of radioactive carbon-14 available as a…

Innovative closed cycle gas cooled reactor – circa April 1956

I came across an advertisement in the April 1956 issue of Scientific American that I simply had to share. Does anyone recognize the basic concept described by the Ford Instrument Company (a division of Sperry Rand Corporation) almost exactly 60 years ago?

Fission is an elegant way to heat a gas

What if it was possible to combine the low capital cost, reliability, and responsive operations of simple cycle combustion gas turbines with the low fuel cost and zero-emission capability of an actinide (uranium, thorium, or plutonium) fuel source? Machines like that could disrupt a few business models while giving the world’s economy a powerful new…

NGNP aims to expand nuclear fission out of its electricity producing niche (box)

The NGNP Alliance recently published a thought provoking blog titled Energy Vs. Electricity and Why We Care that clearly explains the basis for their interest in using high temperature gas cooled reactors. That group of far-sighted organizations was formed in recognition that the energy market is far larger than just producing electricity. They believe that…

Atomicrod visits Dot Net Rocks to chat with Carl and Richard

On January 18, I joined Carl and Richard, the hosts of Dot Net Rocks, for an hour long conversation about nuclear energy. We spanned a number of topics including current light water reactors, breeder reactors, accidents, safety records, SL-1, NR-1, Mars Rover, pebble beds, IFR, and traveling wave reactors. Please go visit and listen.

The Atomic Show #132 – Ray Squirrel Interviews (Atomic) Rod Adams

Ray Squirrel is the screen name used by a documentary film maker who is collecting material for a film about nuclear power. You can find some of the work he has done so far at RaySquirrel’s youtube site. I am not sure how the film will come out, but I thought you might be interested…

The Atomic Show #129 – Atomic Gas Turbines

On March 30, 2009, I had the privilege of presenting a talk at my alma mater on the topic of nuclear heated Brayton cycle machines – also known as atomic gas turbines or Adams EnginesTM. This episode of The Atomic Show is my first attempt at an enhanced podcast using chapter markers and trying to…