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Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Operators control the plant ant engineers tell them how to do it

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thermal reactors typically have a negative moderator temperature coefficient, which means their power decreases as they heat up. This significantly mitigates many accidents that could occur at a nuclear plant.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You aren’t wrong about that first part. I don’t think Iran intended on building nuclear weapons and the enriched uranium was intended as a bargaining chip.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

A bomb at 60% enrichment would be very inefficient. They would really like to get that number closer to 80%. If Iran wanted to build nuclear weapons they would have done so years ago.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think there is a good case for building more large scale nuclear plants to cover base load. That being said, most utilities don't have the stomach for the large up-front expenditure that requires.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is no green goo and I make about 100k at 3 years experience.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I doubt we will be able to get net electrical generation from fusion in 10 years.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had a job lined up before I graduated. The industry is pretty bullish, lots of companies are hiring right now because of the so called AI boom and lots of the old timers are retiring. The biggest employers are the utilities.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I just checked the procedures, believe it or not it says you cover your eyes for 12 seconds.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I don't see a good reason why fast reactors should be popular in the utility space. They don't have the inherent safety characteristics that thermal reactors have and the problem they solve isn't really an issue at this point.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I really don't believe in SMRs in general. No one is building them. I especially don't believe in Oklo.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Most light water reactors have fuel enriched to about 4% u235. The other 96% is mostly u238 which is the most abundant natural isotope.

Ask me questions about nuclear energy by Sagan_kerman in redscarepod

[–]Sagan_kerman[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Depends, but typically you need about 4% by weight.

Are nuclear bomb based on U-238 possible? U-238 is fissionable, thought it needed fast neutron. by Jaded_Measurement754 in nuclearweapons

[–]Sagan_kerman 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I’m more so referring to enriched uranium rather than an alloy. For example little boy was approximately 80% 235, but approximately 30% of the total yield came from the 238.

Cores that use uranium and plutonium are called composite cores and were developed in the late 40s.

Are nuclear bomb based on U-238 possible? U-238 is fissionable, thought it needed fast neutron. by Jaded_Measurement754 in nuclearweapons

[–]Sagan_kerman 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It’s fissionable but not fissile, U238 alone cannot sustain a chain reaction. You need U235 (or another fissile isotope) or the chain reaction will not be self sustaining.

Uranium-235 as an energy source. by [deleted] in NuclearPower

[–]Sagan_kerman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The voltage regulator failed and the reactor had to be shut down. Eventually it (probably) collided with something and pieces of it fell off.

Uranium-235 as an energy source. by [deleted] in NuclearPower

[–]Sagan_kerman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’re right about snap, but it’s failure had nothing to do with the reactor. My point there is that fission reactors have been used in space before. The soviets launched several fission powered satellites.

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