Nuclear power stations

[robnz]

Nothing to do with bikes whatever, but I've just been looking at a French physics website where they have posted an amazing time sequence of the spread of radioactivity from Chernobyl: http://www.irsn.org/va/05_int/05_inf...hernobyl.shtm#. Virtually no-one in the Northern Hemisphere escaped. I've always been profoundly glad to be living Down Under but it was announced that the Aussies are looking at up to 25 nuclear stations on the eastern seaboard. And which way do the winds blow???

kind of glad i left europe a couple of monhts before it happened. Dont want that kind of unhealthy glow thanks

[The Stranger:Me]

Melt down, rather than blow up. But the chances of that happening are remote. The safety record of nuclear power stations is impressive, Three Mile Island and Chernobyl aside.

Wasn't there an incident at Sellafield too?

What do they do with the waste these days?
Like doesn't it have to be stored for a farken long time?
How is it stored?

[sanchez]

How is it stored?

In concrete cases at places nobody would really want to visit. Most of aussie would be a perfect waste dump

[Finn]

Being a small country with little money, we can't really afford one of those safe fusion power stations. However, there are some second hand one's available ex-soviet union that are quite cheap and will do the job fine. Of course you only get what you pay for and the chances of meltdown are quite high so best we stick one in Wellington. Two birds with one stone so to speak.

[McJim]

The biggest pollutant from Nuclear power is paranoia - we can't be choosy - we don't have enough electricity...and Nuclear power is clean...really clean...even requires less oil based lubricants than wind power...destroys fewer natural habitats than hydro...etc.

And contrary to NZ belief - you can't actually smell it on people's breath.

[sAsLEX]

To generate enough power to meet demand. Australia may not have the natural resources that we do in order to generate power (Geothermal, Hydro, gas).

They have decent gas and oil supplies dont they?

well they don't seam to have any water..... and solar power seams tooooo clean

They are a coastal nation, lots of water there, just have to harness the energy in a different way.

And solar needs lots of money and space as its not that efficient. I find it funny that the greens suggest solar panels are the solution of all our problems yet their manufacture invovles lots of heavy metals etc and in the overall scheme of things they are a -ve impact on the environment...... but wouldn't let facts get in the way of the green party would we?

[LilSel]

They have decent gas and oil supplies dont they?

One's that will last forever?? lol...
Nuclear power would provide a reliable future means IF they were to start running out etc (maybe 10 years.. maybe 20 years.. or more.. *shrug*)

[Blackbird]

I'm fairly neutral about nuclear energy, especially if we run short of other sources. It is pretty safe but any engineer who has done a Hazops for new equipment will know about the risk/consequences matrix, i.e. risk might be low but consequences may be very high. Irrespective of safety, another thing which has been grossly underestimated is lifecycle cost of a nuke station. In particular, safely dismantling irradiated plant when it is has to be decommissioned. There are some interesting articles on this which are pretty appalling.

[LilSel]

Im also in the middle on the subject.
I work for generator/retailer of power... so depending on which generation company is building it... depends if I swing either way lol...

[Swoop]

kind of glad i left europe a couple of monhts before it happened. Dont want that kind of unhealthy glow thanks

Having travelled through that area 2 years afterwards...
(might see if the testicles glow in the dark tonight...)

...one of those safe fusion power stations. However, there are some second hand one's available ex-soviet union that are quite cheap and will do the job fine.

Since fusion has not been invented yet.... Fission is the only current option.
There is a multi billion dollar multi-country research deal just been announced the other day. Led by....??? france (surprise surprise) ((deliberate non capitalisation of word)).
Ex Soviet submarine reactors seem to be the cheap option. Unfortunately K-19 would have been the best bet for Wellington (the widowmaker...) but a Russion billionaire has purchased it.

[Street Gerbil]

Guys, as far as I know the only reason for the Tchernobyl explosion was an outrageous break of safety protocol. The only problem with the reactor itself was that it allowed to turn safety features off. Long story short, the communist party management was desperate to report something to the government for the anniversary of the revolution and they ordered an experiment potentially promising significant rise in power output. Since safety mechanisms didn't allow execution of such a dangerous operation, the shift boss ordered to override them. He gambled and lost.
I am 99.9% sure that Aussies know better than this and if their reactors will have a big red button with big red marking "safety override - do not touch" they will not fiddle with it.

[sanchez]

Guys, as far as I know the only reason for the Tchernobyl explosion was an outrageous break of safety protocol. The only problem with the reactor itself was that it allowed to turn safety features off. Long story short, the communist party management was desperate to report something to the government for the anniversary of the revolution and they ordered an experiment potentially promising significant rise in power output. Since safety mechanisms didn't allow execution of such a dangerous operation, the shift boss ordered to override them. He gambled and lost.
I am 99.9% sure that Aussies know better than this and if their reactors will have a big red button with big red marking "safety override - do not touch" they will not fiddle with it.

That, and the design of the reactor itself was bad, which is why only the russians built them.

[Finn]

Since fusion has not been invented yet.... Fission is the only current option.
There is a multi billion dollar multi-country research deal just been announced the other day. Led by....??? france (surprise surprise) ((deliberate non capitalisation of word)).
Ex Soviet submarine reacors seem to be the cheap option. Unfortunately K-19 would have been the best bet for Wellington (the widowmaker...) but a Russion billionaire has purchased it.

Yes it has. Mr Fusion, a product by Black & Decker. $99.95 with a 12 minute warranty. Available from leading department stores.

Thank you for the correction Professor Swoop. Actually, Fusion has been invented, it's just not perfected.

[jrandom]

fusion has been invented, it's just not perfected.

Aye, to be sure, given that the only reliable method of fusion power generation pretty much lets it all out at once...

[terbang]

I'm still in the middle on this one as well. Saw lots of them in Europe and they seem to be accepted there. Used to often go around the Ekron holding pattern stacking up for approaches into Zurich. Spent a bit of time staring down the steaming cooling tower at around 4000ft, contemplating what happened at Chernobyl.