From: prb@access.digex.com (Pat)
Subject: Re: nuclear waste
Organization: Express Access Online Communications USA
Lines: 45
NNTP-Posting-Host: access.digex.net

In article <1993Apr6.125608.7506@mksol.dseg.ti.com> mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
|In <1993Apr2.150038.2521@cs.rochester.edu> dietz@cs.rochester.edu (Paul Dietz) writes:
|>>
|>>Paul, quite frankly I'll believe that this is really going to work on
|>>the typical trash one needs to process when I see them put a couple
|>>tons in one end and get (relatively) clean material out the other end,
|>>plus be able to run it off its own residual power.  Sounds almost like
|>>perpetual motion, doesn't it?
|
|I will believe that this process comes even close to approaching
|technological and economic feasibility (given the mixed nature of the
|trash that will have to be run through it as opposed to the costs of
|separating things first and having a different 'run' for each
|actinide) when I see them dump a few tons in one end and pull
|(relatively) clean material out the other.  Once the costs,
|technological risks, etc., are taken into account I still class this
|one with the idea of throwing waste into the sun.  Sure, it's possible
|and the physics are well understood, but is it really a reasonable
|approach? 
|

How is it ever going to be an Off- the Shelf Technology if someone doesn't
do it?  Maybe we should do this as part of the SSF design goals. ;-)

Gee fred.  After your bitter defense of 20 KHz power as a Basic technology
for SSF, Id think you would support a minor research program like this.

And does anyone who knows more Particle physics then me,  know if the IPNS
could Prove this technology?

|
|>The real reason why accelerator breeders or incinerators are not being
|>built is that there isn't any reason to do so.  Natural uranium is
|>still too cheap, and geological disposal of actinides looks
|>technically reasonable.
|

It may also help there is political gridlock on the entire
nuclear technical agenda.  There were big political opponenents to
Fast Breeder Technologies.  WIPP is being fought to death in Courts.
Even if you could make a nuclear incinerator, do you really think
even Deaf SMith County Nevada would accept it?  NIMBY'ism rules
nuclear power concerns.  Only the medical community has been
able to overrule  nuclear  technology opposition. 

