What is it about?
Is an engineered nano material that replaces the actual nuclear fuel, based on a heterogeneous nano structure that resembles a super capacitor, that charges converting nuclear particles kinetic energy into electricity, and discharges simply as a capacitor or battery delivering electricity. Because of this process all the actual heat exchanges that takes the heat from the fuel and make it steam to move some turbines which have at the end of their shaft an electric generator is removed. The volume of a same power nuclear reactor is reduced by 90% or even more and so the complexity. Because of this pseudo cooling of the nuclear fuel based on electricity production and transport outside the fuel, the energy density is increased from a maximum 200 W/cc to about 10 kW/cc making the nuclear reactor more compact (smaller) by a factor of 10+. Finally, for the same power, the reactor will scale at 1% of the actual nuclear reactor size, say 1 GW in a standard 40 ft trailer (18 wheeler), with some additional trailers needed for shielding purposes...Now to deliver 1 GW one needs to be connected at 1 GW consumer, but that's another story; I hope the reader may have a flavor of the potential progress.
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Why is it important?
Having this compact source is important first in military applications, for directed energy in space, where efficiency and compactness means everything. Such power on Low Terrestrial Orbit (LTO) may power an ultra high power laser or neutral beam that can deny even the artillery shells with range longer than 1 mile, being friendly to enemy, solve the actual Ballistic Missile defense problems with kinematic impactor which have low probability of incoming missile interception, making wars impossible, and setting the minds of the countries leaders to a less bellicose approach - a new stage in the planet's development, may be used in transportation and emergency energy. A by product is alpha, beta batteries that uses almost 50% of the fission products as complementary energy source, equivalent to 100,000 chemical batteries of the same power.
Perspectives
The electric light was not the consequence of continuous improvements in the candle technology, and so the direct development of modern nuclear applications may not be the result of the actual continuous improvements in the present nuclear power reactors, and will require fresh minds outside this vicious cycle under IAEA, NEA, DOE that to rethink the problem and develop proper solution to the problem based on engineered nano-hetero structure that to bring in harmony the nuclear reaction's effects with materials in which it takes place.
Liviu Popa-Simil
LAVM LLC
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Direct Energy Conversion Nano-hybrid Fuel, MRS Proceedings, January 2008, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1557/proc-1104-nn07-20.
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