User talk:Altenergypro

Alternative Energy Should Include Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors
In order to achieve energy independence, we will have to go beyond just wind, solar, and biomass alternative energy forms. All of these have many uses, but are not economical as "base load" electrical energy sources. "Breeder reactors" must be included as a "renewable energy" source for the purposes of government planning and tax treatment accorded the three sources above.

The Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR) have been producing electrical power for civilian use since 1951 (Experimental Breeder Reactor I powered up the town of ARCO, Idaho.) Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBRII) was a demonstration power station that powered the central Idaho grid for over 3 decades, ending operation in the middle 1990's.  Phenix, a French power station that was a 10 times scaleup of EBRII powered the French power grid for over 3 decades as well. Operations for EBRII and PHENIX were very reliable with no safety events. In the 1980's, EBRII was used to prove the benevolent accident responses of this design during a series of controlled equipment failures.

LMFBR's actually produce more fission fuel than they use while operating to produce electricity. For instance, if a two month full power run starts with 100 kg of fissionable fuel - at the end of the two month run, the core will contain 120 kg of fissionable fuel- a 20% increase in available fissionable material which can be removed from the breeder and used in a conventional light water reactor (LWR). They convert useless Uranium238 into Plutonium239 - a premium nuclear fuel. There is enough worthless Uranium238 in storage from US weapons program enrichment to allow breeder reactors to provide 100% of all US electrical needs for over 1000 years with no further uranium mining. LWR's cannot reproduce their own fuel. At some point, without breeder reactors to supply them with fresh fuel, their fuel supply can be expected to experience a shortage similar to natural gas, oil, or coal.

EBR II was operated by Argonne National Lab (branch of University of Chicago), and PHENIX was part of the French government owned electric utility.