In the March 23, 2010 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Steven Chu published an op-ed piece titled America’s New Nuclear Option that describes the Administration’s growing interest in smaller nuclear energy systems that can be produced in factories and delivered nearly complete to sites around the country and around the world. Here is […]
Smaller reactors
The Atomic Show #148 – Hyperion Power Module Update
On January 21, 2010, I caught up with Forrest Rudin and TJ Trapp of Hyperion Power Generation. Forrest is Hyperion’s Chief of Staff; TJ is the Vice President of Engineering. They were on the road meeting with various stakeholders to explain more about their product. They took the time out of their schedule to provide […]
"Small and Medium Reactors" or "Small Modular Reactors" – Either Way, The US NRC and US DOE Notice a Growing Interest in SMR, Are Listening Carefully and Ready to Engage
On Thursday, October 8 and Friday, October 9, the US Nuclear Regulator Commission hosted a workshop to discuss generic issues related to licensing of small and medium-sized nuclear reactors. The meeting was billed as the first in a series on the topic. The NRC managers responsible for Advanced Reactors organized the meeting because they have […]
Small is Beautiful, Even for Nuclear Fission Reactors
E. F. Schumacher published a book titled Small is Beautiful in 1973 that has become one of the reference sources for ecologists and people interested in living on a human scale. In part, that book was inspired by the steady trend in the post-war era in which Schumacher lived towards building bigger and bigger companies […]
The Atomic Show #135 – Tom Sanders – President, American Nuclear Society
Tom Sanders took office as the President of the American Nuclear Society on June 18, 2009. Rod Adams spoke with him on the day before. Tom explained his goals for the year, the importance of nuclear technology to national security and the enthusiasm that he has for “right-sized” reactors. Podcast: Play in new window | […]
B&W’s mPowerTM Reactor – Who Says America is Behind in the Nuclear Renaissance?
Sometimes, games really do change while few people are watching. That is what happened yesterday when Babcock and Wilcox announced their mPowerTM modular nuclear power plant. The big difference is not the basic technology – after all, the mPower reactor is a pressurized water reactor using the same kind of coolant, the same kind of […]
If Utilities Are Not Large Enough To Finance Nuclear Power, Consider Smaller Nuclear Plants
On numerous occasions, I have heard speeches or read commentary by leaders in the US electric utility industry that have made the case that utilities need to partner or merge in order to have the financial heft to develop a new nuclear plant. The line of logic is something like this – official estimated cost […]
The Atomic Show #101 – Small nuclear power plants with Dan Yurman, Charles Barton, Kirk Sorensen
Small nuclear power plants. Round table with Kirk Sorensen, Dan Yurman, Charles Barton, Rod Adams Show 101 is a bit longer than normal, but I think you will want to listen carefully to every word. I invited some innovative thinkers and observers of the nuclear scene to discuss small nuclear power plants and their potential […]
The Atomic Show #100 – Nuclear Power on a New Scale – NuScale Power
Paul Lorenzini and Jose Reyes of NuScale Power chat about their company’s 45 MWe natural circulation light water reactor. This episode sponsored by Entergy Nuclear. Imagine – a traditional utility company far sighted enough to invest advertising dollars in the Atomic Show Podcast! One of the more exciting developments in the nuclear industry is the […]
The Atomic Show #099 – StartupStoryRadio.com interviews Rod Adams of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc.
Rob McNealy is the host and producer of StartupStoryRadio.com. Rob and Rod Adams chatted recently about Rod’s efforts as atomic entrepreneur who wants to change the world. Rob McNealy of StartupStoryRadio.com and I had an interesting chat on Tuesday about Adams Atomic Engines, Inc. (AAE). We discussed the 15-year effort to build an independent, atomic […]
Scaling nuclear power for villages, apartment buildings, shopping malls, factories, and ships
One of the myths that is carefully taught to power plant engineers during their required course in engineering economics is that there is a mathematical method for computing the cost of a power from a power plant. Using that methodical approach, a big part of the equation – which I never committed to memory – […]
Nuclear Fission Vs. Combustion: Inexpensive Machines and Cheap Fuel
Nuclear fission is still in its adolescence, especially when compared to combustion, its major competitor. There is room for process innovations that will improve efficiency, increase flexibility and reduce machinery complexity. Changes in each of these areas offers the opportunity for major cost reductions. The next time you travel on a large jet, look out […]
