

  (Source: Twitter)


The company writes:




Altaeros turbine





Floating upwards toward fail! [Image Source: Altaeros Energies]

Sources: Altaeros Energies [PDF], Inhabitat, CTV

Comments     Threshold


Alpha radiation
By dgingerich on 3/30/2012 12:00:48 PM , Rating: 2
There is a major way to fix this: alpha radiation.

Alpha radiation is a product of alpha decay. Basically, a radioactive element sheds 2 protons and 2 neutron, a helium nucleus, to become another element. Most fission reactor waste sheds this kind of radiation.

Couple this with beta radiation, which is basically an electron, putting one kind in one chamber and an alpha emitter in another chamber, shielded by lead with a conductive wire between them. The electrons would be slowed down and caught by the lead and carried over to the alpha emitter chamber, where the helium nucleus would pick them up, becoming full helium.

Harvest the electric current that is produced between them into batteries, and harvest the helium that is produced in that process. Then introduce the batteries into the power grid in a controlled way to increase our power production. This way, we harvest the energy emitted by nuclear waste, have extra electrical power, and have a steady supply of helium. Problems solved.

The tricky part is refining and separating the alpha and beta emitters from the nuclear waste in a safe manner. That could be a little tough, but not too tough. Introduce an acid into the nuclear waste that would dissolve one kind of element, drain off the resulting solution, wash it and then introduce another acid that will dissolve the other type. (It could be alpha first and beta later, or vice versa, whichever works better.) No need to melt it down. Another problem can be solved with this: the waste can then be recycled more easily and be put back into nuclear reactors.

Our nuclear reactors become the recycling center, with added efficiency, and become our supply for helium. No problem.

RE: Alpha radiation
By geddarkstorm on 3/30/2012 12:13:18 PM , Rating: 2
Hate to say it, but as ingenious as that idea may be, it's more realistic to hold out for nuclear fusion (fusing deuteriums to make helium) for producing helium than that method.

RE: Alpha radiation

RE: Alpha radiation
By MarkHark on 3/31/2012 11:31:58 PM , Rating: 2
Taking into account the amount of nuclear waste producing every year in a nuclear facility, and the slow decay rate of most radioactive isotopes, I would bet we're talking grams, or perhaps kilograms, of helium produced every year, while our needs would be more likely in the range of thousands of tons.


Related Articles
