Re: Can Nuclear Power Deliver?



G. R. L. Cowan wrote:
Citizen wrote:

The 'fistful of matter' refers to plugging 1 kg into Einstein's
equation, yielding an energy equivalent of 25 TWh for a kg of mass.


Oh. Well in that case a coal-fired or for that matter puppydog-fired powerplant *also* get 25 TWh -- thermal -- from 1 kg. Somewhat more mass throughput, but all except 1 kg is, when looked at this way, incidental, same as with a nuke.


--- Graham Cowan, former hydrogen fan Boron fire good. http://tinyurl.com/4xt8g

Not really, because these plants use chemical energy, i.e. breaking bonds between atoms. The energy contained in chemical reactions is about 6 orders of magnitudes lower than for nuclear reactions.
.




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