A novel scheme for making cheap electricity with nuclear energy
Nuclear fuels should produce cheaper electricity than coal, considering their high specific energy and low cost. To exploit these properties, the scheme proposed here replaces the expensive reactor/steam-turbine system with an engine in which the expansion of a gas heated by a nuclear explosion raises a mass of liquid, thereby producing stored hydraulic energy. This energy could be converted to electricity by hydroelectric generation with water as the working fluid or by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generation with molten metal. A rough cost analysis suggests the hydroelectric system could reduce the present cost of electricity by two-thirds, and the MHD system by even more. Such cheap power would make feasible large-scale electrolysis to produce hydrogen and other fuels and chemical raw materials. 2 refs., 1 fig.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5784646
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-107068; CONF-910626-1; ON: DE91012038
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 6. international conference on emerging nuclear energy systems, Monterey, CA (USA), 16-21 Jun 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
13 HYDRO ENERGY
NUCLEAR ENERGY
ENERGY CONVERSION
CAPITALIZED COST
ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTROLYSIS
ENERGY STORAGE
EXPANSION CHAMBERS
HYDRAULICS
HYDROELECTRIC POWER
MHD GENERATORS
MHD POWER PLANTS
CLOUD CHAMBERS
CONVERSION
COST
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUID MECHANICS
GAS TRACK DETECTORS
LYSIS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MECHANICS
POWER
POWER PLANTS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
STORAGE
240100* - Power Systems- (1990-)
290600 - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy
300100 - Direct Energy Conversion- MHD Generators
130700 - Hydro Energy- Power-Conversion Systems