Difference between revisions of "Nuclear brick"
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| − | A nuclear brick is a small [[RTG]] or nuclear reactor built to the form-factor of a [[brick]] and controlled by a wireless network. They are to power brick furnaces and heaters for [[smelting]], casting, [[glass]] melting and curing, heating of habitats and greenhouses, heating of chemicals, and other thermal processes. A plutonium-powered RTG could last several years but has a much lower specific power than an americium-242-powered nuclear reactor. A 1.6 kg americium core can produce 70 kW of thermal power but this core must be replaced every 80 days of operation. Americium-242 exists on Earth as a byproduct of normal nuclear reactors. <ref name=Genuth>Genuth, Iddo, 2006, ''Americium Power Source'', TFOT The Future of Things. [http://thefutureofthings.com/articles.php?itemId=26/64/] </ref> | + | A nuclear brick is a small [[RTG]] or nuclear reactor built to the form-factor of a [[brick]] and controlled by a wireless network. They are to power brick furnaces and heaters for [[smelting]], casting, [[glass]] melting and curing, heating of habitats and greenhouses, heating of chemicals, and other thermal processes. A plutonium-powered RTG could last several years but has a much lower specific power than an americium-242-powered nuclear reactor. A 1.6 kg americium core can produce 70 kW of thermal power but this core must be replaced every 80 days of operation. Americium-242 exists on Earth as a byproduct of normal nuclear reactors. <ref name="Genuth">Genuth, Iddo, 2006, ''Americium Power Source'', TFOT The Future of Things. [http://thefutureofthings.com/articles.php?itemId=26/64/] </ref> The enrichment process required to create significant amounts of americium would be very expensive, however, and there are less expensive ways of producing heat. Americium costs about 1 500 000 $ per kg.<ref>http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/95/americium</ref> |
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| + | A martian settlement, as soon as it starts producing significant amounts of food and propellant. will be a thermally rich environment. Energy production from nuclear reactors produces between 50 and 75% of it's output as heat. So these bricks might not be much use, except perhaps for isolated vehicles or instruments. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | <references/> | + | <references /> |
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| + | [[Category: Sources]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:45, 27 May 2019
A nuclear brick is a small RTG or nuclear reactor built to the form-factor of a brick and controlled by a wireless network. They are to power brick furnaces and heaters for smelting, casting, glass melting and curing, heating of habitats and greenhouses, heating of chemicals, and other thermal processes. A plutonium-powered RTG could last several years but has a much lower specific power than an americium-242-powered nuclear reactor. A 1.6 kg americium core can produce 70 kW of thermal power but this core must be replaced every 80 days of operation. Americium-242 exists on Earth as a byproduct of normal nuclear reactors. [1] The enrichment process required to create significant amounts of americium would be very expensive, however, and there are less expensive ways of producing heat. Americium costs about 1 500 000 $ per kg.[2]
A martian settlement, as soon as it starts producing significant amounts of food and propellant. will be a thermally rich environment. Energy production from nuclear reactors produces between 50 and 75% of it's output as heat. So these bricks might not be much use, except perhaps for isolated vehicles or instruments.
References
- ↑ Genuth, Iddo, 2006, Americium Power Source, TFOT The Future of Things. [1]
- ↑ http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/95/americium
