News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Google Funding Construction of Seven U.S. Nuclear Reactors by orochimaaru on Monday October 14, 2024 @03:26PM (#41840963)
Totally agree. The move away from research in nuclear technology towards unreliable "green tech" is a colossal mistake. I'm not sure why Germany did it. Reliable power is the life blood of an economy. With electric cars (and possibly trucks) more will depend on power capacity a country is able to reliably produce.

Research safety and disposal. Add funds to that research so that we can get over our fear. We did it for airlines its time to do it for nuclear power.

Re:Google Funding Construction of Seven U.S. Nuclear Reactors by bbarnett on Monday October 14, 2024 @03:42PM (#41841111)
A lot of people knock h2 as a fuel, but 1/2 the time these complaints seem to not be of a technical merit, but some blather about how it will all come from Ng.

Nonsense.

Such things can be regulated, but my point is that solar and wind are perfect for h2 generation. The sun shines? Produce. The wind blows? Produce.

The variability is irrelevant, and the result is the creation of a fuel source that can be stored.

Even better, we already have an immense network of Ng pipes, and there have been many tests and studies on injecting h2 into Ng lines, and pulling it out at the other end with molecular filters. There is no molecular reaction either.

The means low cost, massively deployed infra already exists.

And this massive network of Ng lines, with h2 injected, can in effect be an immense storage tank of h2.

We don't need some unified "batteries only" group think, but instead having multiple clean sources of energy is a boon. Just the cost of adding 3x the power transmission capacity, distribution is daunting, h2 can let a faster rollout of clean transport occur.

We should embrace all paths which the market can endure amd which can be green.

The Germans ended up focused on one only.

My point? H2 is perfect for solar.

Re:Google Funding Construction of Seven U.S. Nuclear Reactors by fwip on Monday October 14, 2024 @03:50PM (#41841191)
Using the existing natural gas lines for hydrogen would be pretty disruptive. I don't think most things that burn natural gas will work properly on H2. So, you're looking at a big-bang switchover, in which every appliance connected to the natural gas "grid" in the area will need replacing at the same time. In the Northeast at least, it's common for houses to use natural gas for heating, water-heating, and/or cooking.
Re:Google Funding Construction of Seven U.S. Nuclear Reactors by anon84873628 on Monday October 14, 2024 @04:08PM (#41841380)
Using the excess power to synthesize hydrocarbons using atmospheric CO2 sure would be nice.
Re:Google Funding Construction of Seven U.S. Nuclear Reactors by bbarnett on Monday October 14, 2024 @04:10PM (#41841396)
Using the existing natural gas lines for hydrogen would be pretty disruptive

You missed the part about molecular filters. No such issue exists.

Re:Google Funding Construction of Seven U.S. Nuclear Reactors by fwip on Tuesday October 15, 2024 @09:38AM (#41848480)
Mind linking a writeup of your idea? I'd like to learn more, but you seem busy.
Re:Google Funding Construction of Seven U.S. Nuclear Reactors by BlueTemplar on Tuesday October 15, 2024 @06:24AM (#41847035)
The transition will probably be gradual, following the natural gas production that is expected to peak and then decline in the next decade(s).

As these pipelines become empty, they could then be repurposed for H2 ?