Article

2005-05-30 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Russia To Build Floating Nuclear Power Plant

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Posted by Spavirt Pheng6042 2005-05-30 01:34|| || Front Page|| [6 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 This idea comes around once every seven years or so. What's the advantage to a floating reactor? Mobility? Think it was GE that spent a fortune trying to build a factory/yard on the St. Johns river to turn these out. All that's left is a huge Krupp hammerhead crane.

Posted by Shipman 2005-05-30 08:03|| 2005-05-30 08:03|| Front Page Top

#2 "RosAtom head Alexander Rumyantsev said earlier that floating power plants are absolutely safe. The reactors âwill be the same as those that are used by our submarines and nuclear ice-breakers...,â

Oh, that's reassuring. Why don't we all just order our lead-lined Speedos now and avoid the rush?

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2005-05-30 09:03|| 2005-05-30 09:03|| Front Page Top

What's the advantage to a floating reactor? Mobility? Think it was GE that spent a fortune trying to build a factory/yard on the St. Johns river to turn these out. All that's left is a huge Krupp hammerhead crane.

Well, they might have thought there was some sort of regulatory advantage to these things.

Oh, that's reassuring. Why don't we all just order our lead-lined Speedos now and avoid the rush?

Well, I was under the impression that there were some reactor designs in Russian service that were reliable, and that the problems with their reactors came from other factors (skimping on the shielding, etc.) Hopefully that wouldn't be a factor here.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-05-30 09:47|| http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com]">[http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2005-05-30 09:47|| Front Page Top

#4 Ship,

I thought it was Westinghouse since they have PWR and GE is BWR (not the best idea for a floater)but then it could have been CE but their big yard was in Memphis. Anyhoo the last guys I would trust with any form of nuclear energy would be the russkies. They don't even have a word for QA despite the space legacy.

Posted by Jack is Back!">Jack is Back! 2005-05-30 10:03|| 2005-05-30 10:03|| Front Page Top

#5 I just keep thinking about a floating plant would be sooooo much easier for a SEAL team to sabotage.

Posted by mmurray821 2005-05-30 11:13|| 2005-05-30 11:13|| Front Page Top

#6 Aren't these called Nuclear Powered Warships? Building a floating one is just an engineering chore. The real trick is not screwing the thing up because the operators are sucking down cheap vodka while on duty.

Posted by Laurence of the Rats">Laurence of the Rats 2005-05-30 12:17|| http://www.punictreachery.com/]">[http://www.punictreachery.com/] 2005-05-30 12:17|| Front Page Top

#7 Bet you're right JIB.

Posted by Shipman 2005-05-30 13:00|| 2005-05-30 13:00|| Front Page Top

#8 Mobility really is key, here. For places with very specific seasonal demand for energy, say California in summer and the northeast in winter, a nuclear ship plugged into the grid could give big help during surge demand, or when fuel prices have jumped. Also, if there is major power infrastructure damage, say to high-tension lines after a hurricane, then a nuclear ship could power a large chunk of the isolated, but otherwise undamaged grid, until the main lines had been fixed. The rest of the time, it could provide huge amounts of grid isolated energy to research projects. It is a situation of "if you come up with a good solution, we can think up plenty of problems for it to fix."

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-05-30 13:48|| 2005-05-30 13:48|| Front Page Top

#9 Quick question...um exactly how would you plug this thing into the grid? (Not to mention unplug it, move it then plug it back in somewhere else).

Posted by Valentine 2005-05-30 14:31|| 2005-05-30 14:31|| Front Page Top

#10 A really big power cord.

Seriously, they have a way to do it, I just don't know the technical names or methods. I have seen them do this after stringing along miles of new power towers and cables. I'm thinking the same time of technology would be used.

Posted by mmurray821 2005-05-30 14:43|| 2005-05-30 14:43|| Front Page Top

#11 Quick question...um exactly how would you plug this thing into the grid? (Not to mention unplug it, move it then plug it back in somewhere else).

I leave this as an exercise for the students. But think BuckyBallIum and SuperConductors. This material will be carried into the affected region by a fleet of high speed CaterMarans and the local Electrical Cooperatives will spin to suit.

Posted by Dr. Science 2005-05-30 14:59|| 2005-05-30 14:59|| Front Page Top

#12 If I recall correctly, the enrichment of ship-based reactors is so high, it's nearly bomb-grade already. Great.

From what I hear, these babies are a snap to start up and run for decades: I talked with a nuclear navy power operator once, and he played out the hand motions necessary to go from cold startup to full power. From memory. I counted 20 seconds. Apparently, when the skipper wants full power, they designed it to make sure he GETS full power ASAP.

Refueling is a bitch, though, because the lid's welded on to prevent leakage in the event the ship/sub sinks.

It's not a problem to connect to the grid: the cables on high voltage transmission lines are not that big to begin with...

Posted by Ptah">Ptah 2005-05-30 15:44|| http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org]">[http://www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2005-05-30 15:44|| Front Page Top

#13 Its not the cables per se I'm thinking about...its how do you maintain them in various sea states or do you lay them along the sea bed?

Posted by Valentine 2005-05-30 17:28|| 2005-05-30 17:28|| Front Page Top

#14 Actually, this sounds like a pretty neat idea.... providing security is tight.

Posted by Secret Master 2005-05-30 17:58|| 2005-05-30 17:58|| Front Page Top

#15 Cold Fusion wins this one, no security required.

Posted by Shipman 2005-05-30 20:33|| 2005-05-30 20:33|| Front Page Top

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