Toshiba Builds 100x Smaller Micro Nuclear Reactor

Toshiba has developed a new class of micro size Nuclear Reactors that is designed to power individual apartment buildings or city blocks. The new reactor, which is only 20 feet by 6 feet, could change everything for small remote communities, small businesses or even a group of neighbors who are fed up with the power companies and want more control over their energy needs.

The 200 kilowatt Toshiba designed reactor is engineered to be fail-safe and totally automatic and will not overheat. Unlike traditional nuclear reactors the new micro reactor uses no control rods to initiate the reaction. The new revolutionary technology uses reservoirs of liquid lithium-6, an isotope that is effective at absorbing neutrons. The Lithium-6 reservoirs are connected to a vertical tube that fits into the reactor core. The whole whole process is self sustaining and can last for up to 40 years, producing electricity for only 5 cents per kilowatt hour, about half the cost of grid energy.

Toshiba expects to install the first reactor in Japan in 2008 and to begin marketing the new system in Europe and America in 2009.

http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news-toshiba-micro-nuclear-12.17b.html


I only post this because while this could be a very good thing, the cost of $0.05/kilowatt hour does not take into account the 44 full time security guards from homeland insecurity that would take to insure that the the evil dudes don't get their hands on a dirty bomb. I would also imagine that perimeters would be set up at 10 mile radii, staffed by another security force. This would be another way that America can achieve 0% unemployment within our lifetimes (and I'm getting old).

They can't possibly thinking we would be able to install a nuclear reactor inside our apartment building? They say they will be installing one in Japan in 08, are there any more details about this?

and when the red emergency light comes on in the dashboard, it won't mean you're out of oil. It will mean MELTDOWN!!!

"Well, officer, as soon as the red light went on I stopped the car and jumped out. Then the reactor burned it's way out of the car, dropped on the pavement, and proceeded to start melting it's way down to the center of the earth."

I worried about the drunken idiot who runs into the damn thing late one night. Or the basement flood that swamps this thing. Or fire, explosions, shorts, etc. etc., the thousand and one household accidents that could damage this sucker badly enough to start releasing radiation. Then there are those who would deliberately sabotage such machines. And finally, there are the for profit manufacturers who would scrimp by on substandard shielding just to save a nickel.

Sorry, but nuclear of any sort is still a bad idea.

http://www.adn.com/front/story/4214182p-4226215c.html
http://www.atomicinsights.com/AI_03-20-05.html

If so, it's not really going to 'fit in the basement'.

Not a true basement device, since a good portion of the reactor itself is buried underground, and there is the generator itself taking up that basement space

200 kW and 5 cent per kWh works out at $10 per hour. So either they're claiming the running and capital costs are almost zero, and you'll put 1 person on minimum wage keeping an eye on it, or it would be completely unattended.

Is this site at all reliable?

It appears to be a 10 Megawatt reactor

So that's 200kW of electicity, 5MW of thermal energy - ie this is more of a heater than an electrical generator. Perhaps the 5 cents per kWh price comes form the electricity being a 'side product' of the heating. Still sounds unlikely anyone would want this without trained personnel and armed guards. They have been used in the Antarctic ebfore - sounds more suitable for something like that.

These reactors are perfect for powering a post-apocalypse fortress.

Fear not, for Barb and Jenna Bush will be safe and warm come hell and high water.

photo: People Magazine

I'll be really impressed. Until then, I'll bet on PVCs providing power for electrolysis which will then power regional fuel cells. Plus, I'll bet on thermal depolymerization plants at landfills to supply crude oil from all the plastic we've thrown away over the years. Plus, I'll bet on the legalization of hemp culture when the military starts screaming loud enough for short oil supplies.

Nuclear would be the answer to everything if we knew what to do with the garbage. We don't.