4 ms·

I feel like the biggest benefit of small nuclear is that it can be put anywhere and you don’t have to build extremely costly transmission infrastructure. Just d

I feel like the biggest benefit of small nuclear is that it can be put anywhere and you don’t have to build extremely costly transmission infrastructure. Just dot these things around. It surely isn’t cost-effective enough for the first 85% or whatever of a state’s needs, but for that last mile problem? Sounds good.

WatchDog 4y ago
I don’t think dotting nuclear reactors around everywhere would be politically very acceptable. Each plant will also require some level of staffing, operational and security staff. Seems more likely that small modular reactors would just be deployed in large batches to lower the fixed costs, and accept the transmission losses.
- petre 4y ago
  The NuScale design requires 3 people on shifts to operate a 12 reactor fleet.
  - anonymousDan 4y ago
    I would be a bit worried about physical security with lots of small plants. What do you think? I suppose in theory there is nothing preventing having similar levels of physical security from today's large plants.
    - petre 4y ago
      Up to 12 x 60 MWe per station reactors means 720 MWe, as much as a CANDU plant. Yet it looks like a bunch of warehouses on the outside because the reactors are stored in underground water pools. I guess you'd need similar security as for any power plant. The NRC also requires that all new reactors designs post-9/11 are able to withstand impact with a commercial airplane. https://www.ans.org/news/article-1913/first-steps-into-a-new-nuclear-energy-world/ https://www.ans.org/news/article-1913/first-steps-into-a-new...
      - Balgair 4y ago
        Bit of an aside: Nuclear plant security should not be comparable to fossil fuel plant security, it should be much much tighter.
        anonymousDan 4y ago
        Yes agreed, given the risks of meltdown or the theft of radioactive material I would think security should be much more important.
        petre 4y ago
        Radiation alone provides security. The plant diagram already has two fences with coresponding checkpoints. One needs to stop potential looters, so basically checkpoits with a guard each and a patrol vehicle with a team of two. Make it armed guards if you're in the US where everyone and their grandmother owns not one but several firearms. That plus the usual access cards and CCTV. This isn't a military nuclear weapons lab, it's a civilian power facility.
        Balgair 4y ago
        I'd still feel safer with the number of armed guards being nearer the 'nuclear weapons lab' end of the scale than the 'power facility' end.
7952 4y ago
The electricity grid does not have a last mile problem for supply. And just putting them anywhere will just raise costs. Better to put multiple units next to an existing substation on the backbone. Then those units can supply electricity to potentially millions, not just the city at the end of the last mile.

WatchDog 4y ago

I don’t think dotting nuclear reactors around everywhere would be politically very acceptable. Each plant will also require some level of staffing, operational and security staff. Seems more likely that small modular reactors would just be deployed in large batches to lower the fixed costs, and accept the transmission losses.

petre 4y ago
The NuScale design requires 3 people on shifts to operate a 12 reactor fleet.
- anonymousDan 4y ago
  I would be a bit worried about physical security with lots of small plants. What do you think? I suppose in theory there is nothing preventing having similar levels of physical security from today's large plants.
  - petre 4y ago
    Up to 12 x 60 MWe per station reactors means 720 MWe, as much as a CANDU plant. Yet it looks like a bunch of warehouses on the outside because the reactors are stored in underground water pools. I guess you'd need similar security as for any power plant. The NRC also requires that all new reactors designs post-9/11 are able to withstand impact with a commercial airplane. https://www.ans.org/news/article-1913/first-steps-into-a-new-nuclear-energy-world/ https://www.ans.org/news/article-1913/first-steps-into-a-new...
    - Balgair 4y ago
      Bit of an aside: Nuclear plant security should not be comparable to fossil fuel plant security, it should be much much tighter.
      - anonymousDan 4y ago
        Yes agreed, given the risks of meltdown or the theft of radioactive material I would think security should be much more important.
        petre 4y ago
        Radiation alone provides security. The plant diagram already has two fences with coresponding checkpoints. One needs to stop potential looters, so basically checkpoits with a guard each and a patrol vehicle with a team of two. Make it armed guards if you're in the US where everyone and their grandmother owns not one but several firearms. That plus the usual access cards and CCTV. This isn't a military nuclear weapons lab, it's a civilian power facility.
        Balgair 4y ago
        I'd still feel safer with the number of armed guards being nearer the 'nuclear weapons lab' end of the scale than the 'power facility' end.

7952 4y ago

The electricity grid does not have a last mile problem for supply. And just putting them anywhere will just raise costs. Better to put multiple units next to an existing substation on the backbone. Then those units can supply electricity to potentially millions, not just the city at the end of the last mile.