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There are two methods of producing nuclear energy, fission and fusion. Both methods are explored on this web site.
However, from an electricity utility perspective nuclear energy released via fast neutron fission of heavy elements is the only practical source of non-fossil energy that can sustainably and economically completely displace fossil fuels.
The status of nuclear power world wide in November 2018 is concisely summarized on a slide set prepared by Prof. Igor Pioro of U.O.I.T.
The sun is powered by fusion so renewable energy is actually fusion energy. However, due to the rotation of planet Earth about its axis and due to the inclination of that axis with respect to Earth's orbital plane at any particular point on Earth's surface renewable energy generation is both intermittent and seasonal. Solar and wind electricity generators require efficient daily and seasonal energy storage and related efficient long distance transmission to convert interruptible electricity into uninterruptible electricity. These storage and transmission costs are usually prohibitive. It is usually more practical to price uninterruptible electricity and interruptible electricity differently so that applications which require uninterruptible electricity pay the related extra costs.
Advances in Fast Neutron Reactor (FNR) technology have rendered obsolete past concerns about reactor safety and reactor spent fuel waste disposal. However, the present wasteful use of the limited inventories of U-235 and Pu-239 as fuels for water moderated reactors is an enormous concern. As fossil fuels are phased out until fast neutron reactors with fuel recycling are fully implemented the sustainable amount of uninterruptible power will be constrained by the limited available U-235 and Pu-239 inventories.
Another concern is squandering of limited public resources on development of new reactor types that are not fuel sustainable. It is imperative to apply the limited public resouces to development of liquid sodium cooled fast neutron reactors (FNRs), because these FNRs provide the only reactor technology that can sustainably and economically displace fossil fuels. An advantage of liquid sodium over other liquid metals is that it is long term chemically compatible with the steel components required for economic nuclear power reactor fabrication.
Other than via renewable energy, fusion based electricity generation is difficult and expensive to realize on Earth. For simple thermodynamic reasons, as long as low cost fission fuel is available, the cost per kWhe of Earth based fusion energy generation will remain several times the cost per kWhe of Earth based fission energy generation.
The possible avenues of future nuclear fuel cost relief are breeding of Pu-239, U-233 and H-3 in FNRs and mining He-3 from the surface of the moon. In theory it is possible to breed H-3 in fusion reactors, but sustaining controlled fusion reactions on Earth is extremely difficult. The problems include a low density plasma, a small fusion reaction cross section and large ongoing plasma energy loses via energetic neutron emission. The fusion reactor size required for a self sustaining fusion chain reaction is too large for practical construction.
It is the intent of this author to eventually produce web pages addressing all of the above mentioned topics.
This web page last updated October 28, 2018.
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