The UK's Small Modular Reactor Competition

Let's talk about something other than Brexit and the gay club shootings.

The UK's Small Modular Reactor Competition

"The UK government has launched a competition to select a design of a small modular reactor (SMR) for future deployment in the UK. The idea behind SMRs is that they can be factory built and stamped out like aircraft and transported to location on the back of a truck. With thirty-three companies / designs on the shortlist, this looks like the process could take a while to complete"

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An interesting read. The idea of lots of small reactors distributed widely is appealing. It gives redundancy, means that spares for only one type of reactor needs to be held, and training is simplified.

Reply to
Mike Tomlinson
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And more chances of a c*ck up. More sources of radio active material for terrorist dirty bomb.

Reply to
harry

I suggested this years ago, using designs originally intended for submarines and ships.

Wheels reinvented while you wait. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Probably the Rolls Royce one is based on their sub reactor?

Reply to
Andy Burns

In the 1970s, the Soviet Union built a series of remote lighthouses along their northern coast, which ran off individual subcritical reactors.

Reply to
Nightjar

Yes, but with enough juice for a light bulb ...

Reply to
Andy Burns

Talking of wheels reinvented, I came across this thing, 'invented' by two 'brilliant' Africans.

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It just amazes me that people believe this is new.

(Brian; it's a video of a roll> I suggested this years ago, using designs originally intended for

Reply to
Bob Eager

It really makes a lot of sense. If you consired Chernobel and Five Mile Island they were both huge - experimental type facilities.

We need a "standard" that has been tested to the extreme. Were failure effects would be limited by its size. Standardisation would mean predictability.

Reply to
DerbyBorn

Predictable? Ye'd then know where the moment of non-passive[1] failure was on the MTBF plot, and the day before that would be only one that the bean counters would let ye spend money on preventative maintenance.

[1] - er, boom ..
Reply to
Adrian Caspersz

Yeah - they reinvented the Aquaroll I was using on holiday in the 70's.

Reply to
Tim Watts

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Reply to
Tim Watts

1953 for the Aquaroll
Reply to
Andy Burns

Same here, marketed at the parents to get the kids to fill the water ...

Reply to
Andy Burns

I did put the Aquaroll link in the comments, as someone really wouldn't believe me.

Reply to
Bob Eager

I put that link in the comments.

Reply to
Bob Eager

Your not implying there's a connection between the two are you ? ;-)

It wouldnl't suprise me that one group would claim there is to get their POV across :)

Reply to
whisky-dave

So that's the gay club sorted....

Is that because gay sex is dirty, but I can;t yet see a link to brexit.

Reply to
whisky-dave

These were used in desert regions where solar panels with back up batteries suffered from dust problems. I went to a lecture on them in the 60s. Also used in spacecraft for deep space long journeys where solar panels could not generate enough power.

Reply to
Capitol

Indeed, an interesting article, to my mind worth reading for the Rickover quote alone. It was a new quote to me, but it does rather sum up my opinion.

Not so many years ago, there was quite a lot of enthusiasm in the UK industry for the South African PBMR

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but it seems to have sunk without trace.

If I were asked to bet on one, I would agree with the author's view on the Westinghouse one, except that it is probably really too large. But while every country has a regulatory system which seems to insist on analysing every design from first principles, and even "repeat orders" need a major reassessment, I can't see SMRs getting off the ground, at least in the west.

I know nothing about the regulation of the airliner industry, but we don't seem to see every country reassessing each new plane or modification and, Concord(e) apart, you don't seem to get countries blocking introduction of major "foreign" planes.

Reply to
newshound

Isn't a light bulb basically all that a lighthouse needs?

Reply to
Nightjar

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