Note: there is a plot twist in this post.
The elevator is marvelous!
This invention unlocked skyscrapers.
But, did you know it took some convincing?
Elevators were met with intense skepticism around their safety.
An inspired Elisha Otis, founder of Otis Elevator Company, developed a safety device (a brake) to prevent elevators from falling in case of a cable failure.
In a bold and public demo, he elevated a platform above a crowd and *cut the cable* with an axe.
With the brake installed, the elevator stopped!
And the rest is history. We use elevators daily.
We can draw an analogy here to nuclear power.
Didn’t expect that, did you? 😉
Start-ups, such as Radiant, Oklo, TerraPower, NuScale, Terrestrial, and Seaborg, are exploring enhanced designs to make nuclear fission a reality.
Why nuclear?
1. Safety.
Major incidents from the past (Chernobyl, Fukushima) were due to poor construction and materials.
We’ve come a long way.
There are multiple mechanisms in place to shut down nuclear reactors in case of an emergency.
Eg, the rapid insertion of control rods into the core (which is gravitational, and does not require a power supply).
Materials used today are also meltdown-proof, and can sustain much higher temperatures than the heat that caused Chernobyl’s meltdown.
A note on nuclear safety from Doug Bernauer, Radiant’s Founder:
“A demonstration like the one that triggered the success and adoption of the invention of the elevator is possible for nuclear reactors.
With a small system that is portable, we can bring the unit to crowds and demonstrate passive safety by allowing it to overheat, which causes a shutdown.
The fuel is the equivalent of the elevator, able to unlock a bright new future, and the meltdown proof coatings of the TRISO fuel, encapsulated kernels that prevent the release of radioactive fission products, are the equivalent of the elevator brake.”
2. Reliability.
Nuclear is the world’s 2nd largest source of low-carbon power, providing ~10% of the world’s electricity from 443 reactors across 30 countries.
Unlike other sources of energy, most Gigawatt-scale reactors can generate electricity continuously for ~18 months before having to refuel.
Natural gas and coal capacity factors are less reliable due to routine maintenance and refueling.
3. Energy Efficiency.
Nuclear can consistently operate at 93% maximum capacity vs. geothermal (74%) and natural gas at (57%).
In other words, you would need ~2x the coal to generate the same amount of electricity as nuclear.
It’s also the only dispatchable (able to throttle) power source that doesn’t require combustion or air.
Nuclear energy is also energy dense.
Just 1 uranium fuel pellet creates as much energy as 1 ton of coal, 149 gallons of oil, or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas.
Can you now imagine a future where nuclear fission is powering your home?
Thank you to the post co-pilots, Andrew Kirima, Gauri Jaswal, and Doug Bernauer!
