Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

Fast Neutron Reactor Wikipedia Link

It's fast-neutron reactors I was thinking about. I've included a link to get you started.

They are capable of 'burning' spent nuclear fuel from conventional thermal reactors, and rendering such spent fuel much less toxic at the same time.

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

It might have been the 'Integral Fast Reactor' actually. This is a specific type of 'fast neutron reactor' designed to completely use up the fuel and leave very little radioactive waste. The US project to develop this was in the news in the early nineties and that's where you might have heard of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_Fast_Reactor

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

That could easily be the reactor I was thinking of. I actually read about it in the Dec. 2005 Scientific American, but I can't remember the exact content of the article. Might be they were planning on resurrecting the project.

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

Someday our descendants are going to discover a use for our nuclear "waste" and will be annoyed at us for making the stuff so difficult to recover. (No smiley; not kidding.)

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

The begining of an alternative?

Granted it is still a long way off but if it can be perfected and refined...

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

?????

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

He's not joking; remember how you posted....
Well, if that becomes quite successfull, and we've tossed all our nuclear waste into the sun, we can't get it back to power the new plants.....

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

Ahhhh.

I was just being a little dense I guess, not seeing the obvious. Thanks for the clarification! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

Some of this is re-tread, but still, I thought it worth mentioning.

1. The Oil companys are ripping us off.
2. Gas should be more expensive.
3. We need to stop burning things to provide energy.

I am sure that I need to clarify #2 http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

I think that gas taxes need to be higher and that the additional proceeds be used to shore up our transportation infrastructure and to provide research into alternative energies.

This approach has two main advantages.
1. Roads and other Transportation Infrastructure can be used to support even alternative energy cars.
2. At the same time we ramp down the use of fossil fuels, we would be encouraging the development of their replacements.

Recently there has been a lot of push in the media for bio-diesel and other fuels made from crops. While these fuels are an improvement over dependence on fossil oil, it still has some major drawbacks, most notably that they still release poisonous gasses into the atmosphere.

While bio-fuel is a good interim step, it does not (IMO) represent a long term solution.

Personally, I think that the hydrogen fuel cell is the future of portable energy and that a combination of solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and tidal energy is the ideal way to provide the raw energy for "refueling" those cells.

Re: OT: Gas Prices
 

1. The Oil Companies are ripping us off. True, but so is everyone else.
2. Gas should be more expensive. Anything useful that they are not making anymore will rise in price as demand goes up and, as stated, supply goes down.
3. Stop burning things... Well, maybe. Give me a better, cheaper solution and I will. Taxes on gas will make the old solution more expensive and new better technology seem more reasonable.

I filled up my gas tank this weekend. Man it was expensive. Over $30 dollars for a month of gas. I still wonder how I was able to put 11 gallans into my 10 gallon tank. The gas was 10 cents cheaper than the other stations... Hmmmmm.

In case you are wondering, here is my car. Lifetime average of 53.1 miles a gallon and rated SULEV or Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle. I have had it four years and counting. Still loving it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif (see attachment)