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Hyperion Nuclear Batteries Wednesday, December 26, 2007 - Roni Barr Home >> News >> General Technology   
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The Los Alamos based company Hyperion Power Generation is developing a new power source called the Hyperion Hydride Reactor, a sealed fission reactor that can supply power to a small community. Although the portable nuclear reactor is the size of a hot tub, when it's hooked up to a steam turbine, the reactor can generate enough electricity to power a community of 25,000 homes for at least five years. As it is self-contained and involves no moving parts, the reactor doesn’t require a human operator and is considered "extremely safe". Some experts, however, are still questioning the logic of using even this relatively safe kind of nuclear energy. These experts are worried about the pollution created in the process of extracting the radioactive ore, and by the storage problems of the spent nuclear fuel.
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As water is not used in the process, there is no danger of polluting the local water sources. The Hyperion does not produce any greenhouse gases and produces only a tiny fraction of the waste produced by other types of reactors, making it relatively “cleaner”. The energy generated by a single Hyperion Hydride Reactor is approximately 27 MW. This is more than five times the output of the strongest wind turbine in the world, which measures 120-meters (394-feet) in height and has a 61.5-meter (200 feet) long rotor blade. However, an important advantage of the Hyperion Hydride Reactor over 'green' power sources is that unlike wind turbines or solar cells, it can continue to supply electricity constantly and will not stop producing energy when the wind stops or when there is no sunshine.
In 2006, TFOT covered a new concept for developing a battery-like device with a core of (radioactive) americium 242. Scientists in Israel suggested that the device be used in the International Space Station. More recently, TFOT covered the Japanese Space Solar Power Systems Project aimed at creating the world’s first space based power generation system. To learn more about the Hyperion Hydride Reactor, check out the Hyperion Power Generation website. |
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Sure would be nice if there were a lick of information in the article. There\'s essentially nothing about the internals of the reactor itself. What are the fuel materials? Any notion about costs? When can we expect to see an installation? A pilot? Anything? The Hyperion web site doesn\'t have any more info then the this article. |
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Great. Unmanned nuclear devices lying unprotected at the side of the road like phone switch boxes. No way this ends badly. |
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The fuel used is uranium hydride. They wouldn\'t be sitting by the side of the road, they would be completely buried. |
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I E-Mailed your Hyperion Web site to every Ontario Member of Parliament, asking them to evaluate the feasability of the system. I have not received any replies from them to date . I wish to follow up with them but need more information from you.I would like more detail as to the MW. costs when the entire system is set up and a comparison to other systems such as the Candu or other US and European systems. Yours Tony Oliver |
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Have it buried under the helipad of a hospital, the parking lot of a police station, or center field at your local pro staduim. |
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| Is it possible to scale down the size the HR? | |||
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using nuclear energy is a form of selfish greed.everyone should just invest more on the future of solar power and stop killing our planet, because i want my kids to be able to get the scent of fresh air. so i say that nuclear power sucks and your all going down !!!! |
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Ok..i was excited as the next person when i heard about this battery. I thought it was agodsend to end all our energy woes! No more reliability on foreign oil made me wanna do a rain dance. But after reading wat danny has said, i have to agree. This nuclear energy and its creation and disposal is highly irresponsible both to our own lives and those of future generations. And i had so much hope. Solar is the way to go. |
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| right on ! rambo | |||
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You guys sick Dawg!! Nuclear Power? I swear, if u guys cause the end of earth, Ama make sure the big daddy send u to hell, u shizzle!?! |
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fo shizzle broda, if the earth ends cosa u guys im gon crap ma self, yo ma peeps a waaaitin..... fo shiizle !!!! |
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I dont want to shit myself when i see half of the world blown better not mess mother nature!!!! secreast out!! :P |
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when i first heard of nuclear energy, i thought me beating up rihanna was bad, but this is worse. |
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nuclear energy is a nasty thing, millions die because of it, but how is that good ? |
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there is just no need, it is not wanted to !!!! |
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We have recieved a message in our inbox about this websites certain comments, a certain person has used a name that goes by sami (the last name lies discreet),has been used in a form against nuclear energy in buisness wise propoganda,and the offender is still at lookout and will be found soon. sincerely FCA |
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solar energy is nuclear energy only further away just imagine a body with a sun inside as its tummy |
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Its a good thing, solar is good also, but when in dark, solar isn't worth a hoot. Most of you that oppose nuclear power don't remember those saying about automobiles,, they won't work, they endanger the land, scare horses. ETc. well they did all them things, but they advanced civilation enough so that you now have the priviledge of complaining about others trying to do the same thing. You probably are the same ones that think returning to outhouses are better than indoor plumbing. Come on, instead of being the problems, be part of the solution, come up with ideas, new ways, improve upon what we have, use your brain for something other than cell phone calls or playing games on a computer. Remember if you hit your thumb with a hammer because the handle is too short, instead of complaining about the manufacturer not making the handle right, you design one yourself. Make sense? By the way, I like solar power and use solar panels in my travel trailer. |
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Come on folks! this will take billions of tons of co2 out of the atmosphere that would have been released with our current technology. There are ways to impliment this system safely. Very soon all our cars will be electric we need to find a way to power these vehicles.... get with the times dont turn your back on a way to save the current global warming situation.. this is a good step in the right direction... |
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I feel that this is a totally great idea! If you read shell's comment, I agree. Nuclear power is in fact more dangerous on the sun. Sure it is 93 million miles away but same difference. anyway, this will be underground so no need to worry.I love it! |
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Nexus One ds cartes |
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I am a Mechanical Engineering student and I am taking a class specifically on the advancement and projected outcomes of energy in the coming years. I researched specifically on Hyperion nuclear facilities and I believe they will be a godsend and great replacement to foreign oil. The only issue that I have is how we will dispose of the nuclear waste. From what I have read the waste after 10 years of use will only be about the size of a softball, which is not entirely horrendous but can add up. Overall though, I just have to say do your research before you post. Nuclear energy is one of the safest high output energy sources to date. Coal and foreign oil have thousands of deaths compared to nuclear energy. And nothing against wind and solar, but you better be prepared to pay a ton more for electricity than you will for nuclear, oil, or coal. |
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We won\'t need to mine more radioactive ore. We can dismantle our nuclear weapons and use the already refined war head materials for this new energy source. We stop the mining of radioactive ore bodies, reduce CO, CO2, and other green house gases, all while reducing the numbers of nuclear weapons. The technology just needs to be tamper proof and buried away from access to idiots wanting to commit mass murder. |
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I am very impressed that hyperion have took this to the stage of manufacture. The world is full of do gooders and tube mentality morons who only see their viewpoint through a tube. The rest forsee a better future where technology will advance bringing with it the benefits. I remember not so long ago tube brains apposing Automation because it was new, the same people also apposed the computer. A mini nuclear battery is a dream come true and should be developed smaller still for smaller community application. With mass production this would save millions of lives and save the world from depending on unstable oil reserves from countries overflowing with fanatics. I remain committed to the advancement of all technology. Nuclear power is the future for those that can see clearly, remember most of us around today are here because of the advancement of technology. |
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I have dreamed of owning my own micro power plant for many years now. So far, natural gas powered microturbines seems to be the most practical concept for continuous duty power on a small scale but nuclear batteries offer a lot of promise too! I just hope that nuclear batteries in combination with microturbines can be scaled down and made to be as inexpensive as possible! |
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I just hope that nuclear batteries in combination with microturbines can be scaled down and made to be as inexpensive as possible for decentralized power generation for the little man! |
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It is frustrating reading what the anti nuclear people write. I am sure that they even do not know about the elements table. GO NUCLEAR, come with new ideas, go for it. |
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| Go for it ! God gave us the resources of the earth to use. | |||
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I would like to get involved with your company. To whom may I communicate with regarding this matter? |
