The First Nuclear Textbook?ANS Nuclear CafeJune 5, 2020, 6:03PM|Will DavisYesterday, we had one of the nicer yet stranger events during this wholly strange time - that is, the meeting of the American Nuclear Society's Book Publishing Committee, of which yours truly is the Vice Chair. I say "nicer" because I always look forward to these meetings, given the opportunity they afford to interact with some of ANS' finest people and the fact that these meetings really get things done. I say "stranger" because it was a Zoom meeting and not face to face, around a table. What's even more impacting for me is the fact that the BPC meeting usually is the first event I attend at ANS' Annual and Winter meetings and it serves, thus, as the best possible kickoff for me. November, maybe. Maybe.Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Closer Than We ThinkANS Nuclear CafeMay 22, 2020, 2:35PM|Will DavisI'm writing this on National Maritime Day 2020, a day in which we think of and thank all those who have worked on the water moving people and things. Our nation's maritime history isn't as long as that of some other nations but it has been rich and, worldwide, significant. We've contributed a number of "firsts."Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Argonne's Experimental Boiling Water Reactor in FilmANS Nuclear CafeMay 12, 2020, 5:16PM|Will DavisThe second of our special series covering documentaries of early US reactors is this very thoroughly set up and filmed documentary on the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor, produced by Argonne National Laboratory.Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
The Day Tomorrow BeganANS Nuclear CafeMay 8, 2020, 4:12PM|Will DavisOur matinee feature this week is a film produced by Argonne National Laboratory, entitled "Chicago Pile 1: The Day Tomorrow Began." This is the film history, from the official source, of the effort to design, construct and operate what became the first chain-reacting atomic pile in history.Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
ANS Nuclear Cafe Friday Matinee - SNAP-10A in Space!ANS Nuclear CafeApril 24, 2020, 4:12PM|Will DavisWith talk of the Coronavirus permeating every outlet and venue it might be good to take, at least shortly, a simple side trip for the purpose of distraction. And that side trip today is a look at an official AEC film documenting "The First Nuclear Reactor In Space: SNAP 10A."Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Thoughts on THRESHERANS Nuclear CafeApril 10, 2020, 9:58PM|Will DavisAs is the case on every 10APR, I find myself – even in the midst of the present national and, really, worldwide crisis – returning to thoughts of the USS THRESHER on this date in 1963. All of us who have been through the Naval Nuclear Power Program and served in submarines are aware to greater or lesser extent what happened; my experience, having served aboard one of the SUBSAFE boats whose development was a direct result of the accident, lends perhaps to more sustained reflection.Go to ArticleTags:nuclear historynuclear navynuclear submarineuss thresherShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Army Off-Road Nuclear Train – 1958ANS Nuclear CafeMarch 27, 2020, 10:09PM|Will DavisAt the end of the 1950’s the US Army was looking at its entire operational sphere to determine in what areas nuclear energy could be of benefit. While many of these are fairly well known today – for example, the small nuclear plants that were to have been installed at remote locations for powering bases like the Defense Early Warning stations – there are a few applications that remain obscure.Go to ArticleTags:army nuclear power programnuclear historyu.s. armyShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Nuclear Energy for Quarantined Kids – and Everyone!ANS Nuclear CafeEducationMarch 20, 2020, 10:21PM|Will DavisMore and more folks are having to essentially home-school their children or relatives’ children as this whole virus thing plays out – and they are benefiting from a tremendous effort on the part of educators everywhere as transition is made to sent-out and, increasingly, remote educational materials. I thought it might be useful to present, with commentary, some short nuclear energy videos that you could watch or use if you check down through materials or want to supplant them. (We really do have to take a moment to applaud our educators, everywhere, for what they’re facing – and the administrators as well.) Go to ArticleTags:covid-19nuclear educationquarantineu.s. doeShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Power and Promise: Early Atomic Power in Film!ANS Nuclear CafeFebruary 28, 2020, 10:42PM|Will DavisOur ANS Nuclear Cafe matinee feature this week is a fascinating in-depth look at the fabrication of major components for, and the construction of, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station. In this film you’ll get to see some very interesting, rarely seen things; I will add some comments above and beyond what’s described in the film below. Go to ArticleTags:matinee featurenuclear historynuclear navyrickovershippingport atomic power stationShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Replacing Fossil with Nuclear – Five Fast Thoughts!ANS Nuclear CafePower & OperationsFebruary 21, 2020, 10:52PM|Will DavisThis week I had some considerable interaction on social media in the area of replacing fossil power at existing sites with micro reactors or SMR’s (Small Modular Reactors.) As we see real progress happening now in these exciting reactor fields (NuScale and Oklo come to mind first, but there are others!) I’d like to share five things to think about as we begin to seriously consider replacing fossil power (coal, oil) at particular sites with nuclear.Go to ArticleTags:advanced reactorsgen-ivsmrShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
The US Army’s Nuclear Power Program in FilmANS Nuclear CafeFebruary 14, 2020, 11:03PM|Will DavisOur ANS Nuclear Cafe Friday Matinee feature this week is a film produced to detail the United States Army’s nuclear power program; it was archived and then put online by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore.Go to ArticleTags:army nuclear power programfriday matineenuclear historyu.s. armyShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Good... and Bad/WorseANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 24, 2020, 12:00PM|Will DavisFriends and colleagues - Usually I write about "the old days" of nuclear in this space but something came up in current events that really sticks in my craw, and I have to shine the spotlight on it here. So please indulge me and read along. (We'll get back to "the old days" soon enough, don't you worry!)Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
The Strangest ThingsANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 16, 2020, 4:00PM|Will DavisOver the years that I've been writing for ANS, I've managed largely through that association to come into possession of a number of fairly odd things. I mean, all of us have things that the "normal person" (and by that I mean non-nuclear) would find pretty strange, but I'm telling you I have some strange things that are a bit further out than garden-variety strange. I'd like to tell you about just two.Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
SMR's, Ships, and HistoryANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 2, 2020, 4:30PM|Will DavisAs we start 2020 I find myself thinking about the slew of articles and posts that I'm seeing about SMR's - that is to say, Small Modular Reactors. Many are written by knowledgeable people, many not so much - but in some places I've started to see some references to the pollution caused by heavy ocean shipping and whether or not we could use SMR's to stop that by converting ships to nuclear power. Well, let's not rush into this - after all, all of the "consideration" phase was done once before and there was in fact ocean-going hardware. So, keeping in mind that it's the holiday season, I'd like to just offer up a quick look at what was considered and what was surprisingly found out to be true in regards to nuclear cargo or passenger ships in the 1950's and 1960's. I hope this is new for many of you!Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Five Fast Historic Nuclear SurprisesANS Nuclear CafeDecember 26, 2019, 2:00PM|Will DavisIn deference to the holiday season, I've decided to run something lighter than usual - an almost-listicle describing five historic nuclear facts that might surprise people in the field young and old!Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
More Nuclear for Mexico?ANS Nuclear CafeDecember 12, 2019, 3:42PM|Will Davis Mexico's Laguna Verde nuclear plant sits at a beautiful location in Veracruz. This plant has operated successfully for three decades. Photo courtesy Morrison-Knudsen / United Engineers & Constructors.Nuclear power never really did take off in Mexico; although the populous nation seriously considered nuclear energy for a variety of purposes it ended up with just a single commercial plant. It is beginning to look like that might change, sooner or later.Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Atoms in the IceANS Nuclear CafeDecember 5, 2019, 1:28PM|Will DavisDecember 5 marks the anniversary of the launch of the first nuclear powered icebreaker, the Lenin, in what at that time was the Soviet Union. The job that icebreakers perform is among the very most demanding that any type of seagoing vessel endures due to the environment, the remoteness, and the tremendous stresses on the ship itself. As it turns out, it's a perfect application for nuclear energy. Let's take a look at this historic ship, its design and the operation of icebreakers with a variety of photos from my library.Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Thermal System Coupling - from the 2019 ANS Winter MeetingANS Nuclear CafeNovember 19, 2019, 1:09AM|Will DavisIt's no secret that public will and a great deal of marketing have combined to legislate large amounts of renewable energy onto parts of the US grid (and indeed grids around the world.) The challenges that this brings are particularly severe for nuclear energy, which is commonly threatened when expected to operate in an environment where everything else has to "get out of the way" for renewables. The question is: Can nuclear play a role if it's coupled with some kind of energy storage? The early answers seem to be well into the "yes" range, as was explained today during an excellent technical session featuring a number of speakers.Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Does TEPCO Have a Nuclear Future?ANS Nuclear CafeNovember 14, 2019, 4:06PM|Will DavisThe ultimate survival of TEPCO as a long term profitable business continues to be in question as the company struggles with the ongoing decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant. In recent times the company has also stated that it will dismantle the other, more southerly nuclear station in Fukushima prefecture. This leaves TEPCO with only one nuclear plant it can return to operation, and from which it can generate revenue in order to survive (although it has considerable other generating assets). Will that happen? The answer is only a "maybe," although the company is certain it's "yes."Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Hallam Nuclear Station on 1960's TV!ANS Nuclear CafeNovember 8, 2019, 2:16PM|Will DavisThis week's enhanced Friday Matinee feature is a fascinating, albeit short, compilation of television clips that were made at Sheldon Station in Nebraska. This pioneering power station included a very modern coal fired facility and the Hallam Nuclear Generating Station, as one interconnected and combined facility. The original idea was that coal could be used when the nuclear facility was not operating, although it was later planned to add another turbine generator to allow both ends (as it were) to run continuously. The sodium-cooled Hallam facility was shut down before this happened.Go to ArticleShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook