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How to make your own backyard nuclear reactor!

by Thomas
6 replies
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Hi Warriors:

Just been thinking about this...
  1. The fuel in nuclear reactors is in the form of tiny pellets, each weighing about 7 grammes.
  2. When they are removed as "spent", they actually have between one-third and one-half of their original energy content left (their removal is based on economic factors, not the amount of energy remaining).
  3. Even just a few "spent" pellets still have enough energy to heat your entire house all year long, if you could capture all of it.
  4. Millions (upon millions) of spent pellets are generated wordwide every year and simply put into storage (or dumped!).
Building your own reactor:

1. Bore a standard well about a hundred feet into the ground.
2. Seal up the bottom.
3. Install a heat exchanger.
4. Dump a few (or many) gallons of water down there.
5. Drop a few handfuls of spent pellets down after it.
6. Seal up the well.

What little radiation is present in those few handfuls of pellets is blocked by a hundred feet of earth and rock, and the well is sealed, so nothing gets in or out.

And, while it's not actually a reactor, the following end result should make up for any disappointment that might cause: 100 years of free heat and power!

Now, anyone know where I can buy some nuclear waste?
  • Profile picture of the author MoneyMagnetMagnate
    Sounds interesting...I mean, it would just be a small nuclear reactor, what could go wrong?

    probably don't even need a building permit for that...still - probably a good idea to wear gloves...
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Thomas View Post

    1. Bore a standard well about a hundred feet into the ground.
    2. Seal up the bottom.
    3. Install a heat exchanger.
    4. Dump a few (or many) gallons of water down there.
    5. Drop a few handfuls of spent pellets down after it.
    6. Seal up the well.


    Gee Timmy, why are all these dead animals laying all over our backyard?

    Timmy? Timmy? Timmy wake up, what the he$$ is wrong with you?

    Why are my eyes burning? :confused:
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  • Profile picture of the author Ken Strong
    Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    I talk with my HVAC guy a lot, he used to fix my heater, recharged my cooler, and replaced my hot water heater, and we probably spoke together like 30 hours, and he tells me about a lot of new tricks of the trade. One is ALMOST IDENTICAL to what you suggest, but does NOT have spent pellets. In fact, it uses FREON! You see, the temperature tries to equalize, and freon spreads it faster than normal air, or minerals. So the cold freon is forced into the ground where it gets heat, and reverses it. It is like your refrigerator, or A/C where it moves the heat OUT, but it moves the heat IN.

    Steve
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