Nuclear is becoming a hot topic as a source of clean energy so we decided to have host a conversation about it. Nuclear power remains banned under two Australian federal laws, but it’s an industry with a lot of industrial potential. Among 60 recommendations in a recent NSW Productivity Commission white paper was lifting a ban on nuclear electricity generation for small modular reactors.Many Australian political discussions don't consider latest developments in SMR's but now that Australia is contracting to buy nuclear-powered submarines we should. According to our discussion Australia could even benefit from a circular economy in uranium.https://youtu.be/uypAIsQdaWI
For Type 4 & 5 plastics, upcycling is hard. It requires two stages, temperatures of over 200°C, lots of energy and the process can produce undesired by-products.Researchers have identified a one stage, faster process, requiring less energy and temperatures of around 70°C. The process also minimises unwanted by-products and still produces desired chemicals, fuels and other high-value materials from the plastic waste.https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2023/03/plastics-to-fuel-in-one-quick-step-using-minimal-energy/
Wind turbines can rotate on either a horizontal or vertical axis. To date, there have not been too many deployments of vertical-axis wind turbines off-shore, they have tended to be use in more urban areas. However, Norway is home to a number of pilots testing various vertical axis designs off-shore, including this one. Benefits of this design include:-- no need to track the wind- maintenance is easier as all the gear is at the base of the tower, not the top- can be placed closer together = more energy/less space- reduced risk of bird strike https://electrek.co/2023/01/27/norway-vertical-axis-floating-wind-turbine/
