18 February 2005
Enter the Dragon: Nuclear Power's Newest Player
A great TCS article on a technology that could become extremely important. THE PBMR (Pebble-Bed Modular Reactor) has the potential to GREATLY reduce the cost and danger from the use of nuclear power to generate electricity.
This could easily provide us with an energy "bridge", to get us from our hydrocarbon-based energy economy today, to the eventual development of fusion power. The biggest question here is if the bureaucratic (corporate AND governmental) friction and inertia can be overcome so this can get going.
It must be noted, that production of an abundant supply of cheap, clean, (no CO2 or pollutants!) electricity also can enable us to shift to a hydrogen based energy economy, since hydrogen can be produced from water by using electrical energy.
Alos of significance here, is that in spite of our apparent reluctance to develop this technology, the CHinese are actively pursuing it. One can NEVER sell the Chinese short on determination, talent, and on taking the long-term view of things. We can either continue to develop our own technological base (in this case the PBMR) in our own interest, or inevitably slip into 2nd or 3rd tier status. There is no other set of alternative outcomes possible.
This could easily provide us with an energy "bridge", to get us from our hydrocarbon-based energy economy today, to the eventual development of fusion power. The biggest question here is if the bureaucratic (corporate AND governmental) friction and inertia can be overcome so this can get going.
It must be noted, that production of an abundant supply of cheap, clean, (no CO2 or pollutants!) electricity also can enable us to shift to a hydrogen based energy economy, since hydrogen can be produced from water by using electrical energy.
Alos of significance here, is that in spite of our apparent reluctance to develop this technology, the CHinese are actively pursuing it. One can NEVER sell the Chinese short on determination, talent, and on taking the long-term view of things. We can either continue to develop our own technological base (in this case the PBMR) in our own interest, or inevitably slip into 2nd or 3rd tier status. There is no other set of alternative outcomes possible.
