Feb 25 2009
∞
Traveling Wave Reactor
A new reactor design being developed by a privately funded research company, Intellectual Ventures, could result in nuclear reactors running for a couple of 100 years without the need to be refuelled.
The reactor is initially fuelled by a small amount of enriched material and a lot of nonfissle material (uranium-238). As the reactor runs the reactor converts the nonfissle material into the fuel it needs to run.
This design, if successful, would reduce nuclear waste (in fact some stockpiled waste could be used up by the reactor), reduce cost due to the need of less enriched uranium and reduce the possibility of weapons proliferation.
