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Miniature Reactors Could Supply U.S. Bases with Unlimited Fuel
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- Terr_ 2y agoI wonder what the logistics are for protecting them adequately, depending on how much space they take once installed. And what would happen if they get punctured or exploded. Conventional reactors have their own problems, but it's much easier to make ginormous concrete walls around them.
- pfdietz 2y agoMicroreactors, Macro Problems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wyeSkht7tQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wyeSkht7tQ
- bell-cot 2y ago> The new design is a miniature reactor which fits on a standard military pallet and produces 22.4 liters (0.8 gallons) of hydrogen gas per minute. Converting hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbon fuel using the Fischer-Tropsch reaction developed in the 1930s is already a mature technology, the only additional ingredient is carbon dioxide. > California Thermodynamics has already made subscale test versions of their AHR, and plan to produce a full-scale version of the reactor in 2025. This should be licensed to go live with nuclear fuel, and a working production model could be available in three to five years. I'm not a chemist, but it takes a LOT of liters of H2 gas to make one gallon of hydrocarbon fuel. So that "unlimited fuel" promise is a lot like a 56kbps "unlimited" internet connection. The tiny size does sound convenient for putting 'em in deep bunkers. Local geology and water table willing...but in dangerous areas, military folks already favor base locations that are high, dry, and easy to dig in.