Last April, Atomic Energy Insights published its first issue. In the past year, AEI has attempted to provide a view of atomic topics that is different from what is readily available in other sources. On the occasion of our first anniversary, we will tackle one of the most controversial nuclear topics, that of the Chernobyl […]
The Accident at Chernobyl: What Caused the Explosion?
On April 26th, 1986, at 1:23 am, Alexander Akimov did what he and thousands of other nuclear plant operators have been trained to do. When confronted with confusing reactor indications, he initiated an emergency shutdown of Unit 4 of the large electricity generating station near Pripyat in Ukraine. By doing so, he unwittingly initiated an […]
Concerns of the Opposition: Not Irrational
There are some legitimate questions raised by the opponents of Yucca Mountain. There are also some arguments that have little basis and are simply a continuation of the scare tactics that anti-nuclear groups have been using against the technology for nearly three decades. The opposing groups normally make the following claims in their papers and […]
Guest Column: Do Not Eat the Glass
The following letter was written by Mr. Rockwell to the Washington Post. It was not published. Your Sunday (Dec 31) page 1 story on nuclear waste was well researched and well written. But the headlines and some of the quotes imply this is a grim and urgent problem. Actually it’s a problem only in the […]
Letter from the Editor: Delay Does not Indicate a Crisis
By nature, I am a procrastinator. I often live by the motto “Never do today that which you can put off until tomorrow.” In fact, I sometimes extend that idea to “Never do at all that which you can put off indefinitely.” Some of my associates vehemently disagree with my way of thinking, but I […]
Nuclear Waste Mountain: Unnecessary Sense of Urgency
There is a current sense of urgency that “something” must be done about spent nuclear fuel. The Nuclear Energy Institute, which represents the interests of the nuclear utilities and the nuclear plant vendors, has placed the issue of the front page of its bimonthly newsletter no fewer than six times in the past year. Short […]
In the news: March 1996
Ukraine Reactor Shutdown (March 26, 1996) – Ukraine’s energy supply took another hit when a hydrogen leak forced the shut-down of a reactor at the Pivdenny (Southern) nuclear power station at the weekend, the state nuclear power authority said on Monday. “We can’t say how much hydrogen leaked out, but it wasn’t much. With this […]
In the news: February 1996
AECL Signs Indonesian Agreement (January 17, 1996) – Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) has signed a technical co-operation agreement with Badan Tenaga Atom Nasional (BATAN), Indonesia’s atomic energy agency. The agreement will help Indonesia become familiar with CANDU technology and thereby facilitate consideration of CANDU for adoption as the basis of Indonesia’s planned power […]
Government Support: Official Help in the Sales Department
General Electric and Westinghouse received a significant contribution from the U.S. government in their early efforts to establish light water reactors as the world standard in nuclear technology. The support included low interest loans, direct state-to-state pressure, and government contracts that paid for basic materials development. This government support came for several reasons. Not only […]
Letter from the Editor: The Market Battle Begins
The history of nuclear power technology is often as much a political study as it is a technical study. Perhaps no other technological development has ever been so tied to the actions and interests of government bodies and foreign affairs. In this issue of AEI we will focus on the early market struggle between the […]
Water vs. Gas Cooled Reactors: Round 1
In the period from 1966 to 1964, there were two basic reactor choices being offered for commercial electric power production. American companies were offering reactors that used ordinary water under pressure as the reactor coolant. British and French companies were offering reactors using pressurized CO2 gas as the reactor coolant. There were substantial technical differences […]
Fuel Element Designs: Unique Selection Criteria
After making the coolant and moderator choices, certain other details moved higher on the priority list. Core engineers needed to choose a cladding material, fuel material composition, and fuel element configurations. The choices designers made for the first reactors played an important role in the long term competitiveness of the early gas cooled reactor designs. […]
