UT Scientists Fuel Method for Cleaning up Nuclear Waste
Fukushima. Chernobyl. Nuclear fuel has a long, fraught history. More expensive than coal, and more dangerous than oil. A litany of reasons prevents the United States from producing nuclear energy at the capacity of certain European countries, and from expanding one of the most efficient—and domestic—forms of energy production.
However, a three-man team of physicists at the University of Texas believe they may have uncovered a solution to one of the largest roadblocks in nuclear fuel production: how to properly remove the waste that remains after processing the fuel.
UT researchers Mike Kotschenreuther, Prashant Valanju, and Swadesh Mahajan obtained a patent in August in relation to their work on pairing nuclear fusion and fission in order to incinerate nuclear waste. The process, for lay observers, is deceptively simple: fission produces energy through the splitting of atomic nuclei, while fusion fuses the nuclei. As Mahajan explained, the fusion process’s neutrons—”beasties,” as he termed them—would be able to destroy radioactive waste created during the fission production of electricity.
The innovation, called a Super X Divertor, will provide nuclear physicists a way to create a compact, on-site method for destroying the waste that has long caused headaches for both scientists and bureaucrats. Using a tokamak device, which utilizes magnetic fields to create fusion reactions, the Super X Divertor could alleviate one of the longest-standing issues with nuclear energy: where to deposit the sludge.
The Yucca Mountains—which would lead to a “potential plutonium mine that would last thousands of years,” Mahajan has said—have long been bandied as a potential dumping site, but the UT team’s technology may yet prevent any large-scale refuse.
While they’ve obtained the patent, the physicists said the Super X Divertor will likely not be ready for experimentation until 2015. The new technology will be installed as part of a $40 million upgrade to a tokamak in the UK, which should allow the scientists to then monitor early results.
“The potential for this kind of technology is enormous,” Mahajan told R&D magazine. “Now that we have the patent, we hope this will open up opportunities to engage with the research and development community to further this potentially world-changing technology.”
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8 Comments
Great news.
I hope one day UT researchers will figure out a way to dispose of all the toxic b.s. emanating from Rick Perry’s regime.
J.> What does this unsupported, anonymous and cowardly statement have to do with the great news reported in this article?
KenDross, UT is home to great research. Perry is a twit who has begun a campaign to ruin our universities. Do some homework on Perry. You can find plenty of articles chronicling his missteps.
J.> 1) Unsupported – You want me to do homework to support your point? Your point still unsupported. 2) Anonymous – Who is J.? Still anonymous. 3) Cowardly – Name calling, stating personal opinion as conclusion/consensus without any thoughtful debate. Still cowardly.
Add presumptuous. I have done my homework on Governor Perry regarding higher education initiatives/policies. I support more rigorous instructor evaluation and more aggressive cost controls. I don’t believe it is unreasonable to have more accountability in these areas.
And my main point was why take good news and spin it into negative political rhetoric?
I am excited about the possible applications of this new research and looking forward to further advancements.
Kenny Dross,
Yes, I expect you to read. I’m not going to point you to articles freely available on this website that you yourself can find. At that, either you live under a rock or you worship Rick Perry as a god.
He is trying to destroy UT as a research university. His only paradigm for a university is Texas A&M as it was when he attended. A mediocre community college for boneheads. That’s what he wants to implement. It is a toxic and racist ideology, and it is sad that you approve of it.
You are cowardly for supporting him. It is pathetic. Universities already have professor evaluations in place (they are not mere instructors at community colleges), and they have cost controls in place. There is plenty of accountability. Everything is online. Yet we don’t even know how much it costs for Twit Rick Perry to vacation in Italy.
You are a moron to think that Perry, flunking failure during college, knows anything about evaluating universities. You are a moron to think that the regents who paid millions for his campaigns know anything about what is going on at the ground at UT. These rich, white, pencil counters are good at crunching numbers and scratching Rick Perry’s back, but they know nothing about higher education.
The point is that at UT we have world class research going on every day. That takes money, it takes investment from our state. People like you, in your stupid allegiance to Rick Perry’s hair, are working like rabid Aggies to “reform” higher ed. All you are doing is building a gay old time bonfire so that you and you like-minded imbecile flamer friends on the TPPF can cause a giant disaster for UT to collapse into flames.
It is this kind of research reported here–which depends on funding, graduate students, doctoral programs, low student enrollment in specialized courses–that people like you are destroying.
Grow up, do some research, and stop supporting a flunker Aggie like Rick Perry.
J.> You are quite excited about all this. It is clear you are too emotional and angry to discuss anything rationally, much less consider anyone else’s opinions reasonably. Repeating your weak points louder and ruder do not make your case. More assumptions pulled from thin air, faulty/contrived either/or logic statements, “rich, white” conspiracy theories, rabid Aggies, hair envy… all spouted while hiding behind mommy’s skirt of internet anonymity. Yes, there is definitely growing up required. Part of being a grown up is understanding you will not always get your way, and not everyone will bow before your personal perception of correctness – regardless of how shrill and aggressive you become.
Mr. Dross, your comment sums up your allegiance to Perry. Please grow up and think critically. Your shrill, irrational devotion to Fox News and Aggies aren’t good for the real world.
J.> More unsubstantiated assumptions. If this had not become so pitiful I would be curious to see what you would make up next.