Posted: 11/17/2008 9:10:20 AM EDT
It's about time!! 
story Mini Nuclear Power Plants Could Power 20,000 Homes (Update) Hyperion's miniature nuclear modules could be easily transported and buried underground, with the ability to power up to 20,000 homes. (PhysOrg.com) –– Underground nuclear power plants no bigger than a hot tub may soon provide electricity for communities around the world. Measuring about 1.5 meters across, the mini reactors can each power about 20,000 homes. (Please see below for an update) The small energy modules were originally designed by Otis "Pete" Peterson and other scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Now, the technology is being commercially developed by Hyperion Power Generation, which recently announced that it has taken its first orders and plans to start mass production within five years. "Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world," said John Deal, CEO of Hyperion. "[The nuclear plants] will cost approximately $25 million each. For a community with 10,000 households, that is a very affordable $2,500 per home." Because of their small size, the mini power plants can be assembled relatively quickly and transported by truck, rail or ship to remote locations, even places that currently do not have electricity. The power plants provide an alternative to current nuclear plants, which are large, expensive, and take about 10 years to build. Also, large-scale power plants don´t fit the needs of small populations or areas without available land. Hyperion´s modules can be connected together to provide energy for larger populations, as well. In addition, the Hyperion modules have no moving parts to wear down, and never need to be opened on site. Even if opened, the small amount of enclosed fuel would immediately cool, alleviating safety concerns. "It is impossible for the module to go supercritical, ´melt down,´ or create any type of emergency situation," the company states on its Web site. Because the Hyperion plants would be buried underground and guarded by a security detail, the company explains that they´ll be out of sight and safe from illegitimate uses. Further, the material inside wouldn´t be appropriate for proliferation purposes. "You would need nation-state resources in order to enrich our uranium," Deal said. "Temperature-wise it´s too hot to handle. It would be like stealing a barbecue with your bare hands." The reactors need to be refueled about every seven to ten years. After five years of generating power, Hyperion says that the module produces a total waste of about the size of a softball, which could be a candidate for fuel recycling. Hyperion now has more than 100 orders for its modules, mostly from the oil and electricity industries. The first order came from a Czech infrastructure company called TES, which specializes in water plants and power plants. TES ordered six modules and optioned another 12, with the first planned to be located in Romania. Hyperion plans to build three manufacturing plants, with the goal of producing 4,000 mini nuclear modules between 2013 and 2023. Next year, the company will submit an application to build the modules to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. While acknowledging that the commercial development of mini nuclear plants is a lofty goal, Hyperion believes that the potential benefits of the technology make the effort well worthwhile. Along with bringing electricity to remote locations, the Hyperion modules could also be used to provide clean water for the 25% of the world´s population that currently does not have access to clean water. The modules can provide power to pump, clean, and process water, which in turn can help decrease disease, poverty, and social unrest. Update (November 12, 2008): The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) contacted PhysOrg.com to state that the NRC has no plans to review the Hyperion design in the near future, although the NRC and Hyperion have had preliminary talks. Because the Hyperion design is unique, the NRC expects that it will take significant time to ensure safety requirements. In a response to a letter from October 2008, the NRC stated: “Hyperion Power Generation is in the early stages of development of this design, and very little testing information is available for this design concept. Hyperion Power Generation has indicated that it will submit technical reports to support a pre-application review in late FY 2009. The NRC cannot engage in any meaningful, formal technical interaction with the potential applicant until we receive those reports. Because of the very limited amount of test data and lack of operating experience available for a uranium hydride reactor, the NRC staff anticipates that a licensing review would involve significant technical, safety, and licensing policy issues.” More information: www.hyperionpowergeneration.com via: The Guardian |
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"Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world," said John Deal, CEO of Hyperion. $.10 a watt? 
ETA: Even if he means $.10 a kWh, and not a watt, that's still pretty expensive. He means cost of generating capacity, not market rates of delivered power. Small self contained reactors are the future, if we can just get the regulatory apparatus out of the way. Toshiba is developing a similar small reactor that has a small town in Alaska as one of it's first clients. |
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"Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world," said John Deal, CEO of Hyperion. $.10 a watt?
ETA: Even if he means $.10 a kWh, and not a watt, that's still pretty expensive. What do you pay?? This link says my state's average cost is $.0918 per kWh, and it's pretty high compared to many states. The same link claims that the the average rate across the country was a little over $.11/kWh, but that's probably because CA and New England skew the number high. |
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We need to steamroll envirowhackos on this and demand these for residential use. If we can convince the government to act in the interest of human beings rather than some fictional destruction of nature then this could really be a game-changer. The only thing standing in our way is the government. |
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"Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world," said John Deal, CEO of Hyperion. $.10 a watt?
ETA: Even if he means $.10 a kWh, and not a watt, that's still pretty expensive. He means cost of generating capacity, not market rates of delivered power. Small self contained reactors are the future, if we can just get the regulatory apparatus out of the way. Toshiba is developing a similar small reactor that has a small town in Alaska as one of it's first clients. Ah, I see. Yeah, I heard about the Toshiba reactor (right here on Arfcom), and I thought the cost was less expensive than the reactor the OP talks about. |
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NIMBY idiots and enviroweenies will ensure that no good comes from this. -Mark Yeah we'll need every state to have set pricing regulations on the power companies and for them to be crippled enough from that so blackouts have been a problem before it could happen. |
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As warm and fuzzy as this concept may sound (to those of us who aren't afraid of Nuclear Power)
There is no way the libtards and commie fucks in our gov't are going to let this happen. It will take 50 yrs before they decide to approve this shit for the USA. At least other countries may get a chance to use this. 
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what about security issues? the Hyperion plants would be buried underground and guarded by a security detail Apparently, each unit's price tag includes the cost of paying one or two stupifiyingly bored mall ninjas to sit around and do absolutely nothing 24/7...
ETA: The perfect job for ARFCOMers? 
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NIMBY idiots and enviroweenies will ensure that no good comes from this. -Mark Quoted:
As warm and fuzzy as this concept may sound (to those of us who aren't afraid of Nuclear Power) There is no way the libtards and commie fucks in our gov't are going to let this happen. It will take 50 yrs before they decide to approve this shit for the USA. At least other countries may get a chance to use this.  Its sad that this is so true. |
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"Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world," said John Deal, CEO of Hyperion. $.10 a watt?
10 cents a watt is CHEAP. Solar technology is well over $4.50 per watt , wind is $1-2 watt that cost may be for the infrastructure as well. thats cheap. 20,000 homes, paying for the infrastructure until its paid for, then the price goes down. i remember people talking about these before. |
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Cheap, abundant power does not fit into "the plan" to create a population dependent on the government for everything.
If the good people of the inner city can now pay their power bill without Government Assistance, they may get off the tit. Can't have that. And to the Greeniees, nuclear power OF ANY KIND is the devil, and must be stopped at all cost. The goal of the "Earth Firsters" is to have us all living in caves and dying at 35. For the Good of the Planet. |
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"Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world," said John Deal, CEO of Hyperion. $.10 a watt?
10 cents a watt is CHEAP. Solar technology is well over $4.50 per watt , wind is $1-2 watt You are high. You can't compare the capicity cost with the production cost. Coal is about $.03 KWh, Gas CT's are about $.06/KWh at today's prices. Wind would not exist without MASSIVE subsidies. Same with solar. Wind costs you more than you would ever believe. TXL |
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Mech and tank power source for the win  You'd want to drive into combat with a nuclear power source right by you? Think of the armor you could have with that much power and still haul ass. The sub guys do it. The Russian sub guys kinda suck at it, but still do it 
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Actually the 'Killer app' for these might be in Oil Shale petroleum extraction, a cheap steam source would close the business case for Colorado shale in which case that's energy independence right there! That'll REALLY cause the enviroweenies to meltdown. Using nuclear power to extract oil. OMG/ONOZ!!!11!!1 |
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A very similar article came out 3-4 years ago. It was a modular system design (small buried drop in units) that would produce steam (instead of coal fired steam generators) for the turbines already at existing plants.
––- the industry already has the "killer" method for shale oil extraction - igniting it. If you feed the subterranean fire with O2, the shale oil will cook itself out. It was tested in the early 70's, worked fine - politically unfeasible. |
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When they have a 240V/500A unit that sells for $20K, lasts for 100 years and can be moved with an appliance dolly with a pickup truck, let me know. I'll take two.
In reality, a fantastic idea. If you placed a unit like this at every substation on the grid, you could eventually start taking non-nuke plants offline. The risk of widespread blackouts would be diminished if not eliminated entirely. Of course there's the human element to consider. Widespread adoption of this kind of power generation would be hard on the energy resource gatherers in our society - coal miners, coal plants (the place that takes the mined coal and turns it into uniform chunks) and the transportation industry that revolves around coal is huge industry. Those folks are going to need something to do. To a lesser extent, the oil business would feel the same pinch. Then there's the electric generation plants that would be made obsolete. Lots more employees and companies that revolve around them. You've got to be talking about literally millions of jobs. Sometimes, fantastic ideas get regulated to death because the government is very interested in maintaining the economic status quo. And if you're worried about 'terrorists' stealing one to create a weapon, I'm sure that: A) they would be extremely difficult convert to any kind of weapon––even something as simple as a "dirty bomb". B) they would be impractical to physically relocate - if nothing else, they'd simply manufacture them inside a massive steel box that would not be readily moved. C) they'd be manned and monitored in any case. There's a few jobs for all those unemployed by this invention. |
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Quoted: "No moving parts" Is this a thermoelectric module? That's a good question. Generating power via TE is hideously inefficient. ETA: Wikipedia's entry for Hyperion Power Generation says that it uses a steam turbine and generator to produce power - Not exactly "no moving parts" or "low-maintenance"! I'll bet they don't include the turbine or generator in that "size of a hot tub" claim, either...  |