3 ms·
Nuclear waste is already used to being hot in the reactor core (way hotter than the temperatures in the article), and are still hot after removal from a reactor
by cjslep 7y ago
Nuclear waste is already used to being hot in the reactor core (way hotter than the temperatures in the article), and are still hot after removal from a reactor. That's why spent rods are put into a cooling pool for a year or more after removal from a core.
Still, the idea of dumping waste that deep doesn't sound like a good one.
- iso1631 7y agoThe concept is described here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_borehole_disposal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_borehole_disposal But the article sounds like a sales pitch
- boutad 7y agoIt tracks that I would not be the first person to think of this, but long term nuclear "waste" storage came to my mind immediately when I read the article.
- jmkni 7y agoReally dumb question, but can spent nuclear rods still be used to generate electricity (from the heat)? Thanks
- cjslep 7y agoNot a dumb question. With your parenthetical, "from the heat", no. A crude measure of "potential electrical energy" is the difference in "temperature" (really, enthalpy) between the coldest water coming in contact with the spent fuel at the bottom and hottest water/steam leaving the top (natural convection), and while each rod's heat generation is significant enough to require water cooling so it doesn't melt, it isn't enough heat in enough time to generate enough steam to move a X00 MW turbine or two.
- jmkni 7y agoCool, thanks for answering!