tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post3369646699500993466..comments2024-02-16T17:52:44.944-06:00Comments on The Nuclear Green Revolution: ORNL's Energy Innovation HubCharles Bartonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01125297013064527425noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-91438734300144468552011-04-06T09:47:39.986-05:002011-04-06T09:47:39.986-05:00It is good to see that powerful computer resources...It is good to see that powerful computer resources are being made available to advance the design of nuclear reactors. Good tools like this should advance the state of the art.<br /><br />Something additional is needed. No matter how good the simulation tools, even more is learned when the design gets built. There come a time in any project when it is necessary to 'shoot the engineering' and build the device. This is where the rubber meets the road. While we can feel good about some wonderful simulations, we need to produce energy. Producing energy requires doing the real-world work of putting together funding, getting regulatory approvals, moving dirt, fabricating parts, and bolting together all the pieces. A lot of properly ordered bits in a computer can help us determine what to do, but won't produce a kilowatt-hour of energy.<br /><br />We already have quite a few "paper reactors" that look promising. Likely they need more design simulation. But we will not know how good any of these reactors really are until those paper designs are expressed in operating hardware.<br /><br />I think our shortage of prototype reactor hardware is much more critical than any shortage of reactor simulation tools.donbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-88526840817908731802011-04-06T07:04:22.624-05:002011-04-06T07:04:22.624-05:00A different approach could be to use the distribut...A different approach could be to use the distributed computing power of thousands of individuals for such an effort (a la SETI@Home). I think that this possibility was previously discussed on the EfT forum, no ?Rasmus Kiehlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-12864058731587327912011-04-05T20:32:29.113-05:002011-04-05T20:32:29.113-05:00The energy innovation hub for nuclear energy was t...The energy innovation hub for nuclear energy was the first hub awarded and is called the "Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors" or CASL. More information is available at: <br /><br />http://www.casl.govJesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14205555186467258413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7597656451205429515.post-70242007560087559052011-04-05T12:48:39.962-05:002011-04-05T12:48:39.962-05:00Charles, this is great for new reactor designs. Bu...Charles, this is great for new reactor designs. But how about the current fleet. LFTR is wonderfull for future builts but how about the Thorium One and LightBridge initiative to design Thorium-MOX fuels to be used in existing plants?. Seem a very logic transformation. What are the pitfalls of such a transformation?<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />Karel Beelaerts van Blokland<br />the NetherlandsKarel Beelaerts van Bloklandhttp://www.dutchmencapital.web-log.nlnoreply@blogger.com