David, maybe this is the confusion

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David, maybe this is the confusion

Davin L. — 2/9/2005 3:43:16 AM (archived)

The basic design of the pebble bed reactor is (in simplified form) small chunks of Uranium inside carbon spheres, inside tough durable heat-resistant carbide casings. These are the 'pebbles'. The pebbles are packed inside a reactor capsule, which is pressurized with helium. The helium is bled off and its heat harvested.

When I talk about cooling with the surrounding medium, I am talking about a heat exchange between the capsule and the surrounding air- like a hot wood stove writ large.

Also, keep in mind, if the pebbles scatter- problem solved. So anything that catastrophically fails the capsule kind of solves the problem.

To support your side of the argument, though, I am aware of a broken pebble accident in Germany in the 1980s that released a SMALL amount of radiation.

The whole thread (54 posts)

China to make commerical use of the graphite ball reactor - Gary - 2/8/2005 7:26:53 AM
- Here is a link on this. - ebnelson - 2/9/2005 10:54:46 PM
- Like all nuclear power technology, it will NOT be economically viable. - David F Mayer - 2/8/2005 3:30:08 PM
  - David - ebnelson - 2/9/2005 10:58:07 PM
  - Don't know where you get that idea. - Tom Brosz - 2/8/2005 4:10:20 PM
    - Breeder reactors and nuclear energy economics - Gary - 2/8/2005 5:03:00 PM
      - re: nuclear energy economics, and eating France's dust - Tom Brosz - 2/8/2005 5:30:40 PM
        
        France's reactors are operated at a huge loss, made up by subsidies. - David F Mayer - 2/8/2005 5:55:19 PM
        
        You got a source for that? - Tom Brosz - 2/8/2005 6:11:29 PM
        
        Try these - David F Mayer - 2/8/2005 6:32:33 PM
        
        Subsidies - Tom Brosz - 2/8/2005 8:15:06 PM
        
        You are simply mistaken. - David F Mayer - 2/9/2005 12:14:56 AM
        
        Can't believe you are using DFM as a strawman leftist. LOL! (n/t) - alcaray - 2/8/2005 9:59:10 PM
        
        Gee, where did I mention "left?" - Tom Brosz - 2/8/2005 10:42:30 PM
        
        My bad. Should have read: environmentalist strawman. (n/t) - alcaray - 2/8/2005 11:32:40 PM
        
        No problem. It's very easy to confuse them. ;) (n/t) - Tom Brosz - 2/9/2005 1:48:53 AM
        
        Does it make me a racist if I say: - alcaray - 2/10/2005 10:12:08 PM
        
        Strawmen? - Tom Brosz - 2/10/2005 10:15:53 PM
        
        Just continuing your joke. Or, I thought it was a joke... (n/t) - alcaray - 2/10/2005 11:31:29 PM
        
        Huh? (n/t) - Confused Broszian Strawman - 2/9/2005 3:51:42 AM
        
        Rewrite: "No problem. It's very easy to confuse the two categories." (n/t) - Tom Brosz - 2/9/2005 6:40:26 AM
        
        Oh.... I get it.... I think ..... (n/t) - Just Typically Stupid Boszian Strawman - 2/9/2005 8:12:22 PM
        
        P.S. - Tom Brosz - 2/8/2005 8:18:35 PM
    - my only concern - Davin :. - 2/8/2005 4:22:01 PM
      - It's my understanding... - Gary - 2/8/2005 5:14:51 PM
        
        Thanks - Davin :. - 2/8/2005 5:27:00 PM
        
        Google is your friend (n/t) - Gary - 2/8/2005 5:36:19 PM
        
        Indeed it is - Davin :. - 2/8/2005 6:30:12 PM
        
        Sorry, I didn't wish to seem rude - Gary - 2/9/2005 8:27:01 AM
      - re: my only concern - Tom Brosz - 2/8/2005 4:48:48 PM
        
        Then there is the safety problem with all graphite moderated reactors. - David F Mayer - 2/8/2005 5:53:05 PM
        
        re: graphite moderated reactors. - Davin :. - 2/8/2005 6:36:59 PM
        
        I simply DO NOT BELIEVE IT. - David F Mayer - 2/8/2005 7:46:25 PM
        
        re: I simply DO NOT BELIEVE IT. - Davin :. - 2/8/2005 8:03:33 PM
        
        I STILL DO NOT BELIEVE IT. - David F Mayer - 2/9/2005 12:17:44 AM
        
        News flash, David: Reality doesn't give a damn WHAT you BELIEVE!! - R.L. - 2/10/2005 4:08:35 PM
        
        Well, okay, believe what you want - Davin :. - 2/9/2005 12:31:22 AM
        
        "Its not absurd to believe that simple radiant heat loss could cool the pile." Into WHERE? - David F Mayer - 2/9/2005 12:44:03 AM
        
        from the capsule exchanging heat into the surrounding medium - Davin :. - 2/9/2005 1:09:07 AM
        
        Air + graphite at 2600 C means BIG FIRE. (n/t) - David F Mayer - 2/9/2005 1:23:14 AM
        
        Pyrolytic graphite = missile nose cones, rocket nozzle throats - Gary - 2/9/2005 8:22:42 AM
        
        re: Pyrolytic graphite = missile nose cones, rocket nozzle throats - Ribrin - 6/2/2005 6:18:27 PM
        
        Good Stuff! - Davin :. - 2/9/2005 5:08:04 PM
        
        Afterheat - David F Mayer - 2/9/2005 1:58:43 PM
        
        You clearly dont know what you are talking about- as usual... - R.L. - 2/9/2005 10:10:23 PM
        
        David, maybe this is the confusion - Davin L. - 2/9/2005 3:43:16 AM
        
        One source - Tom Brosz - 2/9/2005 4:05:22 PM
        
        PS - Davin :. - 2/9/2005 11:56:40 PM
        
        Tom, that link was out of the park! - Davin :. - 2/9/2005 11:55:50 PM
        
        The truth is out there... - Tom Brosz - 2/10/2005 4:28:37 AM
        
        Assuming Oxygen - Davin :. - 2/9/2005 3:32:35 AM
        
        correction - Davin L. - 2/9/2005 3:35:04 AM
        
        Thanks for the info (n/t) - Davin :. - 2/8/2005 5:27:49 PM
- Cheap energy is one of the most important parts of being a super power - ebnelson - 2/8/2005 1:40:10 PM

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