Building the Nuclear Steam Supply System for an Icebreaker

April 13, 2018, 2:05PMANS Nuclear Cafe

ANS Friday Nuclear MatineeThis week's video is a five-minute-plus "tour de force" on the actual steps of fabrication required to manufacture the integral reactors used in the latest Russian nuclear powered icebreakers.  The impressive shop operations required to fabricate such a system are usually not seen widely, but in this case, Atomenergomash shows the entire process in both computer graphics and in actual film shot during fabrication.  Atomenergomash is the design division of Russian nuclear state enterprise Rosatom; one of the subsidiaries of Atomenergomash is the storied "Joint Stock Company Afrikantov," which is the section responsible for design and fabrication of sea-going nuclear power plants.

Listen: Science and Free Speech and Science Victory! ANS member Donald Moul (First Energy) Guest!

March 5, 2018, 3:19PMANS Nuclear Cafe

RadioNuclear.orgThere's been a ton of news since RadioNuclear.org's newest episode! ANS Social Media Team member and program host Doug Hardtmayer picked out three that had a lot to unpack, so  enjoy his extended news segment! The first item he discusses is the new MOU signed between the Ukraine and Holtec to build multiple SMR-160's in the Ukraine by 2026. Doug also discusses Mark Z. Jacobson's decision to drop the lawsuit against PNAS and Christopher Clack, and speculate some of the reasons he may have dropped the case. Lastly, Doug tackles a new Greenpeace study from Fukushima that will surely make its rounds in the anti-nuclear community, and discuss some questionable findings from this study. Doug's is joined this week by two senior-level board members from First Energy, owner of the Davis-Bessie and Perry Nuclear Power Plants, Ohio's nuclear future!

Nuclear Merchant Ships: Five Fast Facts

January 25, 2018, 1:13PMANS Nuclear Cafe

NS Savannah, mid-1960's.  Photo taken by crew member Dan Campbell, courtesy NS Savannah Association, Inc.

NS Savannah, mid-1960's. Photo taken by crew member Dan Campbell, courtesy NS Savannah Association, Inc.

With the increasing concern these days about the pollutants that commercial ships traveling all over the world's oceans put into the air, there's a rumbling undertone starting again about moving to nuclear powered commercial (that is, non-military) ships.  There was a "First Nuclear Ship" era already, and it did give us some valuable lessons.

Friday Matinee: 3Q 2017 Vogtle Update

November 17, 2017, 2:00PMANS Nuclear Cafe

FriNukeMatinee

When you hear the friendly voice of Joe Washington, you know that it's time for another in the excellent series of "Vogtle Timeline" videos presented by Georgia Power.  This most recent update covers some important ground - namely, the change in construction arrangements following Westinghouse's bankruptcy and how the project goes on from that point.  Not only is physical progress at the plant site displayed, but community outreach and impact are also shown in this well produced video.

ANS President Hopeful for Future of Nuclear Energy

October 30, 2017, 7:31PMANS Nuclear Cafe

"There's no one I'd rather go into battle with," said ANS President Bob Coward to a packed Opening Plenary audience this morning, "than nuclear professionals," in reference to the stated purpose of ANS in advancing nuclear technologies.  Coward's very first remarks set the tone for a speech that was remarkably hopeful and bright given the recent blows that nuclear energy has suffered here in the United States.

National Clean Energy Week and Nuclear Energy

September 26, 2017, 5:55PMANS Nuclear Cafe

Perry Nuclear Plant in Ohio.  Nuclear plants create no emissions of their own; the cooling towers emit only water vapor.  Press photo in Will Davis collection.

Perry Nuclear Plant in Ohio. Nuclear plants create no emissions of their own; the cooling towers emit only water vapor. Press photo in Will Davis collection.

One of the things that's important to consider this week - National Clean Energy Week - is whether or not energy sources we depend upon are actually clean.  While we think of solar and wind energy as being pretty clean, we are also reminded that they are not reliable, and they do experience periods of time when they just don't work.  What we use to fill in that power gap is from sources we can control, independent of weather or time of day. These are sources we call "dispatchable" generating sources, because we can dispatch them and expect they'll answer the call to provide power.

Florida's Nuclear Plants Power Through Hurricane Irma

September 12, 2017, 4:04PMANS Nuclear Cafe

Florida Power and Light's St. Lucie nuclear plant; photo courtesy FPL

Hurricane Irma shocked the country this week with images of wind and water that haven't been seen in some time along the hurricane-wary coastlines of the United States. Although people in those regions always have preparation for these storms somewhere in their minds, the two Florida Power & Light (FPL) nuclear plants-both of which powered through the hurricane-had both a background of design and preparedness to stand on as well as some recent, last-minute preparations.

RadioNuclear.org: An Everything Nuclear Podcast

September 1, 2017, 4:31PMANS Nuclear Cafe

RadioNuclear.org

In a world fraught with loud, anti-nuclear voices, including a recent satirical news show that had a bit on nuclear waste, I've been pondering ideas that would provide a media platform to help counter the attacks on nuclear. While I am still a penniless grad student who lacks the budget of a weekly HBO nightly show, I believe I may have found a compromise. Starting today, Friday, September 1, 2017, I will be launching the bi-weekly podcast RadioNuclear.