schroedingershat

joined 2 years ago
[–] schroedingershat 4 points 1 year ago

Even if you could magically increase the number of nuclear reactors started before 2012 tenfold to keep up with wind and solar, you'd have to triple uranium mining overnight to fuel them for the first time.

[–] schroedingershat 1 points 1 year ago (4 children)

https://www.iowafarmbureau.com/Article/Relative-Value-of-Soybean-Meal-and-Soybean-Oil

Most of the revenue is the meal. Nobody would grow it for the oil.

Almost half of the oil is used for biodeisel. So even if it were exclusively for the oil (a lie) getting rid of 40% and getting rid of the meat would do more than green fertizer

Also all an attempt at distraction because humans could eat a plant grown there.

[–] schroedingershat 2 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I said red meat. Pork and chicken need to go too, but that'snot as urgent.

[–] schroedingershat 1 points 1 year ago (26 children)

Paltering.

Corn and soy grown for the purpose of large animal feed exceeds the amount of cropland used directly for human consumption in areas where <20% of calories and protein come from red meat.

[–] schroedingershat 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Another solution would be adding some intelligence to water heaters. Have a temperature control valve on the output where you set the temperature, and program the water heater get to 160-180°F when electricity is cheap. This would be a thermal battery that would easily level out demand for electricity for heating water.

This has been done for close to a century in wind or run of river hydro heavy countries (as well as some coal ones).

The water heater has a buffer tank and is attached to a meter that only runs when a signal is sent across the power line. This stores about 20kWh for a 300L tank.

Modern insulation would allow going up to a few m^3 for a couple weeks' worth.

 

Uranium is $128.30/kg

After enrichment, conversion and fabrication that's $3400/kg for 4.95% fuel.

At 36-45MWd/kg and a net thermal efficiency of 25% or $12.5/MWh up front.

With a 90 month lead time (72 month fuel cycle and 18 months inventory) at 3% this is $16.2/MWh

Which some solar projects are now matching

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