The Future of Advanced Nuclear Technologies Interdisciplinary Research Team Summaries (2014) / Chapter Skim
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IDR Team Summary 7: Identify a new and practical application of nuclear phenomena for the benefit of humankind.
IDR Team Summary 7: Identify a new and practical application of nuclear phenomena for the benefit of humankind.
Pages 83-94
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From page 83... ...
They include the following: Medical diagnosis and therapy Energy production for electricity generation, district heating, process heat, propulsion systems, and desalinization Sterilizing medical equipment Scientific research ranging from tracers to sample dating Preserving food Propulsion and station energy for spacecraft Controlling insect infestations Nondestructive testing and examination Weapons These applications are diverse, but most of them were developed many decades ago. Although there have been both incremental and significant advances, the fundamental applications of nuclear technology have not expanded to new spheres.
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From page 84... ...
Computational capacities have expanded greatly in ways that enable the understanding, design, fabrication, and control of systems in ways that were not previously conceivably. Given that great advances in one technology often arise from the application of advances in others, the question arises: Are there practical applications of nuclear phenomena for the benefit of humankind that are now feasible, but that have not been previously exploited or perhaps even been contemplated?
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From page 85... ...
M Keck Foundation • Jianzhong Wu, University of California, Riverside IDR TEAM SUMMARY -- GROUP 7A Rachel Feltman, NAKFI Science Writing Scholar New York University IDR Team 7A was asked to identify a new and practical application of nuclear phenomena for the benefit of humankind.
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From page 86... ...
As a result, many potential applications of nuclear technology -- like Project Pluto, which aimed to design a nuclear-powered ramjet engine in the 1960s -- were proposed and thrown out before anyone had the means to produce them practically. And other applications in that era were too "exuberant," like the Russian program called Nuclear Explosions for National Economy, which detonated over 100 nuclear devices to clear mountains in the way of interstate highways and loosen natural gas for extraction.
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From page 87... ...
Waste disposal, mantle exploration First, the team discussed an old idea with a new application. It's been theorized that an old proposed method of disposing of nuclear waste -- that is, putting waste inside a titanium shell, drilling a borehole, and taking advantage of the waste's heat and weight to make it drop into the earth -- might also allow us to create images of the deep crust of the upper mantle.
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From page 88... ...
It showed that in the future, we could move from having tens of large GW power plants to billions of tiny nW batteries. The group further discussed the feasibility of a smaller, more efficient nuclear battery, where radioactive particles interact with semiconductors -- essentially producing electricity in the same way that solar panels do.
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From page 89... ...
The topic began in 1963 with primitive photocells and has been used from time to time in low-power, low-efficiency space power supplies. However, with modern fission reactor materials, allowing reactors to reach temperatures of 1,400 to 1,500 degrees C, and employing modern solar cells reaching 35 percent or more, this technology is ready for reexamination as a solution for midlevel power applications, such as efficient, very reliable 0.1- to 3-MW power sources.
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From page 90... ...
Current applications of nuclear phenomena include generating power, medical diagnosis and therapy, sterilizing medical equipment, agricultural pest control, preserving food, and many others. To begin moving beyond what has already been done, the IDR Team employed a two-pronged approach, looking first at nuclear science's capabilities (What can it do?
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From page 91... ...
To combat both sides of the problem, the IDR Team proposed irradiating nonpotable water to sterilize it and eliminate the risks of covering food crops with pathogens. Using nonpotable water, a previously dangerous source, eliminates the need for farmers to drawdown the local supply of fresh drinking water, and "zapping the bugs" or microbes ensures that their crops will remain safe for human consumption.
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From page 92... ...
One IDR Team member suggested using nuclear radiation to produce targeted genetic mutations in plants and animals, a concept that has potential applications in medical therapy, invasive plant control, and pest insect sterilization. Other ideas included using nuclear isotopes to produce very small, incredibly powerful nanobatteries; and even using a highly targeted nuclear explosion to divert or dissipate the energy of threatening weather systems such as typhoons and hurricanes.
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From page 93... ...
IDR TEAM SUMMARY 7B 93 Blue Skies With a mission as big as the world itself, IDR Team 7B's members proceeded with a "sky's the limit" attitude. This blue-sky thinking, unfettered by the economic, regulatory, and practical constraints of typical research, produced ideas that could change the world.
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