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Going Nuclear: Notes from the officially unofficial book tour
I work in the analytical labs at one of Europe’s oldest and largest nuclear sites: Sellafield, in northwestern England. I spend my days at the fume hood front, pipette in one hand and radiation probe in the other (and dosimeter pinned to my chest, of course). Outside the lab, I have a second job: I moonlight as a writer and public speaker. My new popular science book—Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World—came out last summer, and it feels like my life has been running at full power ever since.
R. Philip Hammond, John R. Humphreys, Jr.
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 18 | Number 4 | April 1964 | Pages 421-425
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE64-A18759
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This study considers a fast-reactor concept in which the recirculating molten plutonium alloy fuel is externally cooled by direct contact with an immiscible coolant fluid. An example of one such design is given using sodium as the coolant and Pu/Co/Ce ternary as the fuel. Operational characteristics are discussed showing the self-regulating features of the system. Some fission-product-removal mechanisms are considered together with their effect on core life and system safety. The principal problem areas are fuel pumping, phase separation, and containment-materials compatability.