Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: system on 13/04/2011 11:30:04

Title: Can we use waste nuclear heat to generate electricity?
Post by: system on 13/04/2011 11:30:04

Everyone talks about the spent fuel needing to be constantly cooled. Has anyone investigated a way to use the heat to make electricity? Perhaps to charge a back up battery, to run a pump in an emergency.
Asked by Sean Hoskins, Facebook, and Leslie in Suffolk

                                       
Go to the show page. (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/show/2011.04.10/)
                                       
[chapter podcast=3078 track=11.04.10/Naked_Scientists_Show_11.04.10_8326.mp3](https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenakedscientists.com%2FHTML%2Ftypo3conf%2Fext%2Fnaksci_podcast%2Fgnome-settings-sound.gif&hash=f2b0d108dc173aeaa367f8db2e2171bd)  or Listen to the Answer[/chapter] or [download as MP3] (http://nakeddiscovery.com/downloads/split_individual/11.04.10/Naked_Scientists_Show_11.04.10_8326.mp3)

Title: Can we use waste nuclear heat to generate electricity?
Post by: syhprum on 13/04/2011 15:54:38

There is very little waste that will generate a high enough temperature to drive an efficient heat engine, such a power station could be built but it would be hopelessly uneconomic.
The thermoelectric generators in space vehicles use extremely rare and expensive isotopes such as U239.