Hyperion Power Generation is a company that has claimed to produce self contained, portable nuclear fission reactor that can produce 27 megawatts of power.
The portable nuclear reactor is the size of a hot tub. It’s shaped like a sake cup, filled with a uranium hydride core and surrounded by a hydrogen atmosphere. Encase it in concrete, truck it to a site, bury it underground, hook it up to a steam turbine and, voila, one would generate enough electricity to power a 25,000-home community for at least five years.
wouldn’t that be a nice thing to have on a trip to mars and back?
Or camping. It’d be perfect for powering the tiki torches 😛
Already buried. Runs 25 kHomes for 5 years. What’s not to like?
Anti-nuclear advocates don’t like it? This is a surprise? They don’t like anything. That’s their job. Ned Ludd is their patron saint
Los Alamos Study Group Executive Director Greg Mello’s line says everything we need to know about them: “… factoring in enough cronyism, corruption and official ignorance and boosterism, it’s possible the principals could make some money during the initial stages, before the crows come home to roost.”.
Really fine technical argument. Looks like Ludd has been reincarnated as Mello.
It probably weighs a ton, so a little impractical getting it off-earth. Unless, of course, we build them up there. Like on the Moon, or in orbit.
The obvious place to start putting them is in remote places – parts of Africa – that would benefit from a little electricity. The Mello types would jump all over that – naturally – claiming that we’re trying to kill them with radioactivity.