The Nuclear Option
March 22nd, 2006 | by MadHacktress |It’s Monday in my world. A strange concept to grasp. I’m not used to having an adjusted calendar. I’m used to living the Monday-to-Friday life. It’s not all bad, however, since I do finish work at 12:30 in the afternoon. That’s a pretty sweet deal. Finally getting the chance to watch an episode of Lost live with Paul without having to book a day of work will be sweet. :)
I’m not feeling 100% today, but I’ll live. I’m all achy and stiff and head hurts. Not cool, but, well, it’s a long way from my heart, as my grandmother would say. I think I’ll pull through.
I was reading, this morning, about nuclear power, the CANDU reactor system and the various topics that go along with it. A friend of Paul’s who I met at his birthday last month apparently claims (so says Paul) that the CANDU reactors are not susceptible to accidents like Three Mile Island or Chernobyl.
I disagreed.
From what I’ve read the CANDU systems are superior to most reactors that are actually in use. There are a number of proposed, or prototypical designs that exceed it for safety and efficiency. But the CANDU systems do not seem to be completely invulnerable to meltdown or the like. That has never happened, nor do I wish it to, of course.
I am a solid proponent of nuclear technology. As long as it is done correctly and safely. I think that, all things considered, it’s one of the better options available for power generation. Canada, and Ontario, currently use a huge amount of Hydroelectric power generation, which is fantastic.
Hydroelectricity is definitely the absolute best option for power generation, in my opinion, because of its ease of maintenance (the stations can last for hundreds of years), cost effectiveness (they’re mostly automated) and the fact that we’ve got über supplies of water in Canada to be able to make it work. Not to mention the fact that it’s not ass ugly like those horrific wind generation abominations. Dams are very cool…
Anyhow, back to the CANDUs.
The fact that they can burn a wide variety of fuels is very cool. In fact, the very fact that they can be used to burn down weapons grade nuclear material in to something that is no longer good for weaponry usage is just awesome. I was impressed by the functions and features touted by the various websites that I sourced (Wikipedia External Links on the CANDU page, and a Google Search).
The CANDU reactors can be refuelled on the fly (or on-power), a feature which is unique to them.
Some of the reactors have the ability to step down to a low-power mode, rather than being shut down entirely, in the event that they need to be disconnected from the grid in an emergency (as in the blackout of August 2003). This leaves these units available for power-up again when needed. This is unique to CANDU reactors. Reactors that are shut down completely can take several days to start up again by established procedure due to the “dirty” way that emergency shut-down is performed in other reactors.
CANDUs use unenriched “natural” uranium for fuel. This means that enrichment facilities are not required. Which means that they’re lower cost. But they can also use enriched uranium, or weapons grade uranium, too. They can even “breed” fuel from thorium.
These reactors, due to the on-power refuelling capability, have the lowest down time of any reactor design. This is very cool. When you depend on nuclear technology for 51% of province-wide power generation, it would be hard to make do with as few reactors as we have if they couldn’t be refuelled on the fly.
I am disappointed that more of our power generation isn’t performed through these “clean” means. We have a gas/oil generation station here in the Kingston area that I just wish would go away. It’s dirty and ugly and, obviously, a polluter. It’s right on the shore across from Amherst Island, where my grand’rents live.
However, in spite of all the bells and whistles that the CANDUs offer and can tout… they are not infallible. At least I never once saw it so written. I would like to think and hope that the technology coupled with our operating procedures make our reactors among the safest in the world.
Entry Filed under: In The News, Pure Opinion
I wish I remembered the gory details (and they *were* gory), but hydroelectricity isn’t all that squeaky-clean. I’m not sure about the situation in Ontario, but in Quebec massive reservoirs are created by flooding existing land, which leads to sudden ecosystem change, wildlife displacement/death, buildup of mercury deposits, etc. Also, the water is warmer when it leaves the plant, changing the temperature and the oxygen levels of the existing water system and screwing with the aquatic life. Again, I wish I remembered the details so I didn’t have to rely on generalities.
There’s no doubt in my mind that nuclear power is the best form of generation. The technology has been proven over the past several decades, and the waste is small and containable with sound disposal methods, unlike any other form of generation. The only thing holding it back is a campaign of misinformation (not unlike incineration as a method of waste disposal, but that’s another story…).
Yeah, good call on the hydroelectric thing. I’ve read about the mercury thing at the James Bay Project site in Quebec… but I don’t know if that is indicative of hydroelectric dams in general. I guess the increased levels or organic matter (due to flooding) is definitely going to have an impact somehow.
The fact that misinformation seems to get in the way of so many “Good Things” annoys the hell out of me.
Normally I wouldn’t comment personally in somebody I don’t know’s journal, but I was hoping to gain access to the Ottawa community for posting purposes.
The interesting thing is that I’ve been having a discussion this morning about the benefits of CANDU technology (I’m a huge proponent, mainly because my father is a physicist for AECL and has been spouting the benefits at me since I was born) vs. other technology and I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Cautious optimism. We have good technology here, let’s just make sure it stays that way.
The other comment above though also brought into the problems related to hydro-electric power generation which are important to consider.
Anyways….
That’s about it.
I also would like posting access for Ottawa, but didn’t know how I should go about asking. So… ?
:)
Normally just sending an e-mail to the community owner, the address is in the community information, will be sufficient. I have gone ahead and granted posting access… welcome to the community.