Sellafield

[2scoops0406]

Cold fusion, I'm telling ya' I run my entire house on a cup of water, two pipe cleaners and a potato. I may share the secret with you, before the men in the white coats come and take me away.

Seriously though, what happened to all the fusion (non cold) experiments. Last I read was that it took more energy input than you got out, which obviously is not good for a generator.

 

[Freddie]

Cold fusion, I'm telling ya' I run my entire house on a cup of water, two pipe cleaners and a potato. I may share the secret with you, before the men in the white coats come and take me away.

Seriously though, what happened to all the fusion (non cold) experiments. Last I read was that it took more energy input than you got out, which obviously is not good for a generator.

Everything takes more energy input than what you get out, but that potato idea wont work, you need lizards goolies to give it that umpf

 

[Big_Spark]

The history of the site is thus:

1947
New atomic energy site at Windscale, Cumbria announced. Work begins in september.

1950
July - Experimental loading of fuel into first windscale 'pile'

1952
July - First active operation of the seperation plant to seperate uranium and plutonium from used fuel.

1954
Control of nuclear programme moved from Ministry of Supply to Department of Atomic Energy

1956
Calder Hall reactor 1 generates first electricity.
Official opening in October by HM Queen Elizabeth II

1957
Fire in windscale pile leads to closure of both original piles.

1963
Windscale advanced gas cooler reactor ('the golfball') starts operation.

1964
Magnox reprocessing plant comes on line to reprocess fuel from the first generation o fBritish reactors.


1971
BNFL formed

1977
Windscale enquiry into plans to build a Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant. (THORP)

1978
THORP receives go ahead for construction.

1981
BNFL o9wned section of Windscale renamed Sellafield. Windscale Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) closed.

1983
Beach incident - high radioactive discharges result in beach closure.

1988
Decommissioning of Windscale pile chimney begins.

1991
Windscale vitrification plant starts turning high-level radioactive waste into glass.

1994
Thorp operations start.

1997
Construction of the Sellafield Mox plant complete

2001
Government announces the intention to form a Liabilities Management Authority (LMA) to manage the historic wastes and facilities at Sellafield and other nuclear sites.

2002
New vitrification plant to solidify high-level waste starts active commissioning.

2003
The closure of Calder Hall power station in march after 46 years of electricity generation marked the end of an era on site.

2004
Discharges of technetium 99 from Sellafield are reduced by 90% after industry regulators give the go ahead to a new chemical treatment process at the Enhanced Actinide Removal plant.

Freddie said

Everything takes more energy input than what you get out, but that potato idea wont work, you need lizards goolies to give it that umpf

This is not correct Freddie, Nuclear Fusion liberates more energy than it takes to generate the reaction in the first place. If this was not the case, then the Universe would be a cold dank place as there would be no stars...

 

[Freddie]

This is not correct Freddie, Nuclear Fusion liberates more energy than it takes to generate the reaction in the first place. If this was not the case, then the Universe would be a cold dank place as there would be no stars...[/quote]

Thats Scotland you are talking about Engineer

 

[kevplumb]

you are mostly talking balls
been on the site and been involved in the demolitiom of calder hall HOT big style

now post and feel free

 

[Freddie]

you are mostly talking balls
been on the site and been involved in the demolitiom of calder hall HOT big style

now post and feel free

Er would post but dont know what you are on about

 

[Thermo]

do you glow in the dark then kev? (i dunno let you loose on a nuclear reactor when you dont even know what your talking about when it comes to domestic boilers!! )

 

[Damocles]

I think the Fusion people at Culham working on JET (joint European tokamak) reckoned that they managed to break even on power generation with their last atempt. Which is to say they produced as much energy as they had to put into the thing to get it started. As they say, things can only get better.

I do not recall ever reading anything about how clean it will be when it gets started. Fission is very messy.

 

[kevplumb]

T i prob do glow in the dark

work in the poly suits you have to and lose at least a stone a day
then come home wrecked

yeah its fun
the nuclear industry big money
big greif


sorry guys rant over

 

[Big_Spark]

I do not recall ever reading anything about how clean it will be when it gets started. Fission is very messy.

They didn't quite break even..they made 4kW more that they used!!

But from small acorns......

Regarding cleanliness..it is so clean it makes Fairy look dirty.

It cannot have too much or too little fuel or it will stop, so there is never an explosion risk, the only byproduct is He4. He3 is produced, but reacts with other short term products and forms stable Helium 4, non-radioactive.

The linings of the torus will absorb radiation over extended periods, but even after 50 years it is estimated that 10 square meters of the inner lining would be needed to produce the same level of radiation as a very low power, soft tissue x-ray.

This material could be sealed in hardened plastic when decommissioned and it would never pose a threat to the environment.

 

[Freddie]

I do not recall ever reading anything about how clean it will be when it gets started. Fission is very messy.

I agree Damocles, maggots and the slime on them gets everywhere and they stink

 

[Damocles]

you been working at chernobyl too long mate.

 

[kendor]

As you use Uranium it needs cleaning after a time and the cleansing process produces small amounts of plutonium which gives you a better bang in your bomb.
.

not exactly correct freddie, With use and naturally, uranium as used in reactors will deplete over time (U238 for example)
during the reaction process the uranium 238 will be converted to coarse grade plutonium 239 (certainly not the stuff for weapons as it is not enriched enough to be weapons grade, 3% for reactors as opposed to 90%+ for weapons) as this is another good fuel once the uranium rod is depleted it is sent to a reprocessing plant where the plutonium 239 is enriched (3%) so that it can be used again. This is why it is so efficient a fuel the fact that you can gain a lot of energy from a small amount of fuel and the fact that when spent it can be reprocessed and reused at relatively small cost.
I'd be very surprised if nuclear reactors were demolished unless it was to make way for more modern ones seeing as the fossil fuels are almost depleted it would be stupid to do so. Another April Fools joke perhaps

 

[Freddie]

Fossil fuels arent almost depleted Britain still sits on almost 300 years of coal but looks like will never use it

 

[kevplumb]

well you can thank maggie for that