There's No Fool Like An Old Fuel - Breeder Reactors

Taken from a verse in the Bible's Book of Job "The aged aren’t always wise, nor do the elderly always understand justice." Today, the foolish behavior of an older person (with education and wisdom) seems especially foolish as they are expected to think and act more sensibly than a younger one. For many decades, eastern Idaho’s Arco desert was known as an isolated, wide-open and windswept haven for sagebrush, antelope and rattlesnakes. All that changed with the construction of the National Reactor Testing Station, now known as the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory. Since its creation, more than 50 nuclear reactors including the first Experimental Breeder Reactor or EBR-I—were designed and built at the Idaho site. What do we fission in today's reactors, and what are "Breeder Reactors"? In the previous 75 years America built some fantastic breeder reactors. The EBR-I represented a departure from weapons research. Argonne National Laboratory concentrated on developing peaceful uses of the atom, especially in nuclear power plants. Argonne-West was established in Idaho to test designs and theories developed at Argonne-East in Chicago. The nation’s first breeder reactor ushered in a new era in nuclear history when it became the first reactor to generate useable amounts of electricity from nuclear energy. It accomplished this feat on December 20, 1951 by lighting four light bulbs. What do we really know about the sources of radioactive material on our planet? Did you know that California’s geothermal plants in the Imperial Valley produce more radioactive waste than nuclear? Why didn't you hear that from the anti-nuclear coalition? I'd ask why and ask more questions about Fossil Fuels? Yes, they do release a lot of naturally occuring radioactive materials into the environment, but that all goes unmonitored and unreported to the public. I can't see the slightest distiction beteen natural and man-made radiation exposure when it comes to health. Safety concerns about the plants construction to be safe and accident-free hours of operation aside, it wouldn’t be fair to tell you how much the public normally gets exposed to one but not the other. Did you know that the estimated radiation doses ingested by people living near the coal plants were equal to or higher than doses for people living around the nuclear facilities? At one extreme, the scientists estimated fly ash radiation in individuals' bones at around 18 millirems (thousandths of a rem, a unit for measuring doses of ionizing radiation) a year. Doses for the two nuclear plants, by contrast, ranged from between three and six millirems for the same period. And when all food was grown in the area, radiation doses were 50 to 200 percent higher around the coal plants. While well-intentioned, the "Atoms for Peace" program was also criticized for facilitating nuclear proliferation by spreading dual use nuclear technology, i.e., technologies and materials, such as highly enriched uranium, used in early civilian nuclear programs that can also be used for the production of nuclear weapons. Some believe that Atoms for Peace set nuclear aspirants, like Iran, on the path to acquiring necessary technologies and materials for the development of a nuclear weapons program. In addition to helping nations like Iran start their own peaceful use for atomic energy, the “Atoms for Peace” project helped develop a second and more powerful breeder reactor. The EBR-II was a passively safe pool-type design that combined a metal alloy fuel. That is, the reactor could safely shut down, without operator assistance, even if safety systems had failed. This safety feature was not dependent on control rods or computer monitoring, but on the laws of physics. This reliance on natural physical properties is the ultimate backup safety system for a nuclear power plant. This would make nuclear incidents, such as those that occurred at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, nearly impossible to duplicate. This was demonstrated in 1986, when EBR-II underwent a series of IFR safety tests. These tests simulated accidents involving loss of coolant flow. Even with the normal shutdown devices disabled, the reactor safely shut down without reaching excessive temperatures anywhere in the system. A dangerous design? No. The one we didn’t build was closer to my childhood home in Tennessee. The Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project was first authorized in 1970 during the Nixon administration initially conceived as a major step toward developing liquid-metal fast breeder reactor technology as a commercially viable electric power generation system in the United States. President Nixon established this technology as the nation’s highest priority research and development effort as a prototype and demonstration for a class of such reactors, called Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR). However, the Clinch River project was controversial from the start, and economic and political considerations eventually led to its demise. President Carter, a consistent opponent of the Clinch River project explained his 1977 veto of a bill to authorize funding for the project continuation, it would be "large and unnecessarily expensive" and "when completed, would be technically obsolete and economically unsound." Congress persisted in keeping the Clinch River project alive over the President's objections, and Carter repeatedly chastised Congress for its actions. In a speech in 1979, after the House Science and Technology Committee had voted to proceed with the project over his opposition, he said "The Clinch River breeder reactor is a technological dinosaur.” Instead of investing public resources in the breeder demonstration project, Carter urged attention to improving the safety of existing nuclear technology. U.S. Congress terminated funding on October 26, 1983. Yes, I say that when you don’t like the science behind nuclear, it must be "unnecessary and wasteful". Nobody said it was dangerous. Why do anti-nuclear organizations say: "We don't need to invent anything new, we just need to stop wasting time with distractions like nuclear power." Science fact: A nuclear bond contains over 1 million times the energy of a hydrocarbon bond. That is the potential of atomic power. With better nuclear reactors we can realize that potential. Remember Carl Sagan’s Cosmos? His description of nuclear fission was introduced at the very basics. Electrons, Protons, Neutrons. Elements and Isotopes. Fissile material and Fertile material. “A pound of uranium, which is less than the volume of your fist, contains the energy equivalent of 5,000 barrels of oil, or about 200,000 gallons of gasoline. Uranium is a tremendously concentrated energy source, that's why you can make bombs out of 10 pounds of it, we only extract about one percent of that energy. With just a little bit of arithmetic, uranium could supply all the electricity in the United States for at least 300 years." If the world ever got out of the nuclear weapons production business, then using Thorium as a fuel would make perfect sense. What do you know about using Thorium as fuel? In the thorium cycle, thorium-232 breeds by converting first to protactinium-233, which then decays to uranium-233. If the protactinium remains in the reactor, small amounts of uranium-232 are also produced, which has the strong gamma emitter thallium-208 in its decay chain. Similar to uranium-fueled designs, the longer the fuel and fertile material remain in the reactor, the more of these undesirable elements build up. In the envisioned commercial thorium reactors, high levels of uranium-232 would be allowed to accumulate, leading to extremely high gamma-radiation doses from any uranium derived from thorium. These gamma rays complicate the safe handling of a weapon and the design of its electronics; this explains why uranium-233 has never been pursued for weapons beyond proof-of-concept demonstrations. Solve the nuclear waste problem by using the nuclear waste as fuel. Historically, most of the public is unaware. Some of the predictions of nuclear energy were true, others were changed in a way that made them acceptable of those more dangerous reactors that could also be used to keep the weapons grade plutonium cycle going for national security, and some were never developed at all. Global Warming is still going to be a problem for generations if we can’t find methods that control green-house gas emissions. Can you be an environmentalist and be 100% anti-nuclear? Before you say yes, have you seen Pandora’s promise, a documentary was created in favor of nuclear energy? In "Pandora's Promise", the voice is that of Stewart Brand, the Whole earth catalog, a longtime environmentalist and entrepreneur who's become a supporter of nuclear power as a way to cut coal use and stem global warming. Maybe it's a message we need to hear about what we could do with the excess nuclear weapons? Better to light a home than curse the darkness of a post-apocalyptic nuclear winter.

Continuing Galileo's Leaning Tower of Pisa Experiment

According to history, Italian Scientist Galileo having dropped two objects of differing sizes and weights found that the heavier ball hit the ground first, but only by a little bit. Except for a small difference caused by air resistance, both balls reached nearly the same speed. And that surprised him. It forced him to abandon Aristotelian ideas about motion. Galileo discovered through his experiment that the objects fall with the same acceleration, proving his prediction true, while at the same time disproving Aristotle's theory of gravity (which states that objects fall at speed proportional to their mass). Because Galileo died, he never finished his work, I became part of a human endeavor to continue these experiments. I managed to conduct a few science experiments serving in engineering spaces at sea in my time. After having properly set the initial conditions for the experiment, I postulated that anyone: - either standing on a machinery room platform that was suspended over any inaccessible area of engine room bilge or machinery room foundation, or transiting between same, - who was handling a small metallic object, such as a nut or a writing pen, - would suddenly lose their grip on that object at the precise moment they reached apogee. Defining the apogee as the highest distance between the object and the bilge. The experiment showed that the descent of this object would occur in such a manner to avoid a straight path: - taking at least 4 ninety-degree turns during the descent, and - finally coming to rest in a location of the where no light was shining or - where water in the bilge was at its deepest. The object would not be located until: - you had spent countless hours looking for it everywhere else, - had missed an entire meal, or - had given up all hope for its recovery, or - managed to acquire a suitable replacement. While I served in the Navy, it was proven to my satisfaction that this experiment was repeatable. My understanding is that experiment had been continued by countless others.

Remember Everyone Deployed

To mention Remember Everyone Deployed or R.E.D. I'll stick with my union label, Navy. Did you know that just before Christmas of 2020, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), its escorts and its embarked air wing began its second deployment in a year? Yes. It's a so-called double-pump deployment, that highlights how the Navy carrier’s force is under strain with too few hulls available to meet the demands of combatant commanders. This year, carrier operations are at their highest rate in a decade with several carriers unable to deploy currently in maintenance availabilities. The strike group and the air wing have been in isolation since mid-November ahead of the deployment. The TR CSG is deploying with two escorts from the earlier 2020 deployment – guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (DDG-52) and guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG-59) as part of Destroyer Squadron 23. The CSG will also include the destroyer USS John Finn (DDG-113). On the East Coast, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group plans to deploy early next year for its own double-pump deployment. At least they were in port for Christmas and New Year’s.

Another Christmas Carol

Imagine the life a Boiler Technician at Christmas as seen through a child’s eyes. Here's one I'd call USS Midway's Christmas Carol. The USS Midway is now a museum in San Diego. Some say the ship is haunted by the Ghosts' of Christmas Past. T’was the night before Christmas …as USS Midway is conducting night flight operations. While steaming with Condition III watches set, and her Battle Group in formation somewhere in the South China Sea, one of the Operations Specialists in CIC reports a target bearing of 180 astern of the ship to be designated as skunk Charlie. The Air Ops Officer tells the tower that a Friendly inbound could be Santa Claus, there was a note from CTF 77 and Seventh Fleet in the Air Plan on Christmas Eve. Given that information, the TAO evaluates the contact as friendly and is status updated for the Battle Group using NTDS, and since he recognizes Santa’s IFF is squawking code 7600 in Mode 3, the TAO lets him inside the perimeter of Midway’s BARCAP. He hums the tune of Silent Night while ordering Weapons Tight. Warning White. Now, everyone in CIC is excited. They all know that Santa’s call sign is HO3 (standing for Ho-Ho-Ho) and CATCC now has the skunk Charlie identified as a friendly, given permission and instructed on a special landing procedure. The crew in Pri-Fly are amazed by the AIR BOSS to hear that CAG already knows that NATOPS has a procedure for a sled to make an arrested landing when it has no tail hook to land. The OOD maintains Fox CORPEN. On the flight deck, as a precaution the barricade is rigged, but it’s not needed. Santa steers his reindeer like a centurion, as the CATCC uses signal lights as the LSO directs him to use a Case III approach. Rumors fly around the Airwing that Santa has never bolter’d in the history of Naval Aviation. Like magic, Santa stays on perfect glide slope, and his sled catches the two wire, and he is directed by a Yellow Shirt over to the area just forward of the Crash and Smash crew. The Handler on station at the OUIJA board in Flight Deck Control puts Santa’s sleigh on deck in Fly 2, just outside the foul line. The Purple Shirts are ordered to get something to feed his reindeer. Oddly, they notice that Santa has three reflective letters “FTG” that are written across his back. As his sled gets chocked and the tiny reindeer each get chained with tiny chains to the deck by the Chain Gang in Blue Shirts, Santa leaps from his sled and flies to top of the island, where Santa finds himself and his red duffle bag perched on the top of the funnel. The Ordnance Handling officer exclaims “Well, at least he isn’t here to inspect our ordnance program” so the Weapons Officer lets him go without escort. The signalman standing watch on the 08 level sees Santa. Surprised, he just watches Santa for a signal. A wink of his eye, and placing his finger next to his nose, Santa enters the uptakes and snakes his way down to the seventh deck where one of boilers is cold-iron, down for cleaning. He emerges seconds later in the Fireroom 3A and finds the asbestos-lined stockings carefully hung across the burner front. He then walks over to the 3M system preventative maintenance system (PMS) schedule and sees that almost everyone in the fireroom has completed the PMS. But Santa sees that there is one of those monthly PMs that haven’t been completed by Fireman (FN) Timmy and it will go out of periodicity today. Santa frowns because he knows that a missed check would certainly keep the ship from getting the Battle “E.” Checking it twice to find out who was naughty or nice, he reads the names of the sailors from the tagout log. Here, Santa is again disappointed to find that FN Timmy hasn’t even properly tagged out the system. Reaching into his bag, Santa gets out a pen, then fills out a PMS spot check form, and leaves it in the Stocking of FN Timmy for him to sign. Santa then checks the naughty list and adds FN Timmy’s name to it. A wink of his eye, and placing his finger next to his nose, Santa exits the fire-room through the uptakes and snakes his way back to the top, and returns to the sled waiting on deck. He is directed by another Yellow Shirt, taxis his reindeer over to Number #2 CAT, as the reindeer hooves throws sparks across the deck at night as they are brought up to full-military power, he gives a crisp salute. The Catapult Officer returns his salute, and then gently touches the deck. As the catapult fires, Santa quickly disappears on his way to another ship in Midway’s Battle group. It’s now Christmas morning. As the 04-08 watch is relived, FN Timmy arrives in the fireroom to stand his watch as the Messenger. The BTOW, BT1 Burns sees those gifts that Santa has given his watch. Happily, it looks like Santa gave everyone a brand new pair of nice leather work gloves, that will keep their hands from being burned by heated valve handwheels that tend to get hot while steaming. Everyone that is, except for FN Timmy. FN Timmy reaches into his stocking and produces the PMS Spot Check form that Santa left. Bad news. FN Timmy is told by BT1 Burns to report to main control. Soon, the B-Division Officer, LT Waters, who is standing watch as the EOOW, has read Santa’s PMS Spot Check report. The Lieutenant is very displeased and the Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA), Lieutenant Commander Whitesteam, is notified. The MPA places FN Timmy on report. Handing the papers to Commander Hammer, the Chief Engineer (CHENG). FN Timmy’s chain of command is notified about his lapse in completing his PMS and the improper use of the tagout procedure. CHENG tells the XO, Commander Flyington, and they both understand that Midway’s competition for AIRPAC Battle E is all but lost. The XO calls up the ship’s CO, Captain Krampus and delivers the bad news. Within the hour, they all gather on the Forecastle to sing Christmas Carols with the Chaplain as a planned event to boost morale. The singing continues until Captain Krampus arrives. He doesn’t like to hold Mast on Christmas but this will be an exception. Captain Krampus is in a bad mood about the Battle E and says that he wants to get this over, quickly. FN Timmy’s case is heard right away, judgement is past, non-judicial punishment is awarded. He orders his Legal Officer that a lesson be given by taking some of his FN’s money. FN Timmy is awarded a reduction in rate to E-2, forfeiture of half a month pay for a month, and he is sentenced to confinement in the brig, to be placed on rations of three days Bread and Water. The Personnel Officer in Admin makes a page 13 entry in the Service Record for FN Timmy. As they walk off the Forecastle to have dinner, the SUPPO has prepared quite a feast for them all. The Master-At-Arms escorts Timmy to Medical where he gets a pre-confinement physical, and then they all go to the brig. Later, FA Timmy sits alone in his cell very sad. Only given Bread and Water rations for a Christmas dinner instead of the fine meal the rest of the crew enjoys. The thin pieces of bread Timmy can eat have been cut into snowflake shapes by some of cooks in the Bake Shop. While standing in his cell of Midway’s Brig, Fireman Apprentice Timmy wears his dungarees as he considers this year’s Christmas gift…and the Marines that are guarding him help by singing “Blue Christmas” This story you have just read is not true. The information may have come from reliable accounts, but the names and circumstances have been changed to amuse the innocent. It closes with this Holiday greeting. Merry Christmas to all.

Digital Books or Paper Books?

I would prefer to read a paper book, but it's great to have a digital book to read when the moment allows.

Final Countdown or Top Gun?

The movie "The Final Countdown" filmed on USS Nimitz was more than just that aviation fueled “Top Gun” movie that was filmed on USS Enterprise, because at that time we really gave the “Bear a Scare” in the Med. It was known that our ship’s engines could provide at least the 30 knots of wind over deck to launch and recover, and every BTU of catapult steam was brought to you by those people down in the ship’s Reactor and Engineering Departments.

What I've been Up To Lately

Consistent with my blog, I haven't been acquiring new technology per se... More like using the same technology in a more secure computing environment. While I could say that Windows 8 and 8.1 were a complete bust, the Windows 10 idea is at least focused more on security.