Michael Bluck

@dorfman_p @KathrynPorter26 Paul, HPC is a PWR. It doesn’t have graphite bricks at all. Water is the moderator. If you’re going to say things, just do a tiny bit of homework. Glad I can help

Just wondering if you have considered 'fault conditions'. Let me repeat, since you haven't answered. For example, Keyway route cracking (KWRC) is a very specific form of cracking which splits the graphic bricks (or barrels) in two. Keyway cracks risks the core could become misaligned, and the fuel modules stick in the core. If this happens, the fuel temperature rises and can melt. If radioactivity gets into the gas stream and the reactor is venting because it’s over-pressurized, then significant radioactive release to the atmosphere follows.

'Two good reasons why no #nuclear power stations have been built since Sizewell B are the exorbitant cost and the impossibility of safe disposal of nuclear waste. The nuclear industry is very good at promises, but poor on delivery.' theguardian.com/environment/20…

@unherd @freddiesayers @KathrynPorter26 This is brilliant. @KathrynPorter26 tells it how it is. UK government and Whitehall need to listen and act accordingly.

Did the UK only narrowly avoid a blackout last week? @unherd's @freddiesayers is joined by energy analyst @KathrynPorter26 to break down the National Grid numbers and find out how Net Zero might cause blackouts by 2030.

For almost half a century, the Imperial Reactor Centre on our Silwood Park Campus played a vital role in supporting the training of nuclear scientists ⚛️ It has now become the first civil nuclear site in Britain to be fully decommissioned 🏁 Here's the story of our Reactor ⬇️ ow.ly/vkvZ50QIakG

More than 20 countries have pledged to triple nuclear power as part of their climate goals. On #theclimatequestion, @Thomas_Naadi tells @GraihaghJackson why Ghana is one of them. Plus analysis from @KacperSzulecki & Dr Michael Bluck. 🎧 on @BBCSounds. bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3…

@ChasingNeutrons Excellent job Paul. Good to have a little sober objectivity!

For early risers, I think I'm going to be on BBC Radio5 Live at 6am tomorrow talking about the big fusion announcement!

@EdwardJFKey @BryanMilham @W12Newman @KwasiKwarteng @beisgovuk @RollsRoyce It’s not based on PWR3, so uses normal civil levels of enrichment. Btw all reactors have to be able to go supercritical, otherwise they couldn’t start. It’s ‘prompt-supercritical’ that’s the problem, but not even remotely possible in a standard PWR - it’s part of the design

@BryanMilham @W12Newman @KwasiKwarteng @beisgovuk @RollsRoyce Have heard that they’re based on PWR3. Makes sense. However, naval reactors are fuelled to 80-90% enrichment to allow for zero or a single mid-life refueling. This means they can go supercritical. Would this not be a major safety concern?

@W12Newman @KwasiKwarteng @beisgovuk @RollsRoyce It’s not based on PWR3. It’s a fairly standard civil PWR design, best to imagine a shrunk Sizewell B. Of course RR have the experience of submarine reactors so this helps. Choosing this well understood design minimises the need for much new R&D, which gets it to market sooner

@KwasiKwarteng @beisgovuk @RollsRoyce Genuine questions, can anyone provide insight on what R&D has be undertaken to date on these designs, are they feasible, what is the earliest they maybe rolled out?

@dorfman_p Paul, they’re 30-40 years old. They’ve done what they were designed to do. Infrastructure needs replacing, and the French government dropped the ball in this respect, but at least they had the ball in the first place. What’s your point?

EDF : Corrosion in 4 more reactors. #nuclear #EDF montelnews.com/fr/news/131401…

News is emerging of #Chernobyl having it's electricity supply cut. This is not great. What are the potential issues? 🧵

Very irresponsible. Site has lost power, can't cool spent fuel ponds. That spent fuel has been sat there for 20 years and I can't imagine it requires active cooling. After ~10 years the fuel is usually cool enough to be put in free-standing casks. twitter.com/ua_parliament/…

@dorfman_p Please Paul, stop this. You’re helping no one - including yourself. The linear no-threshold hypothesis is exactly that, a hypothesis. It has no scientific basis, and you know this.

It's universally understood by all international radiation protection authorities that any increase in exposure will increase your ridk. Perhaps, more importantly, potential heart and immune system response. businessinsider.com/elon-musk-high… #nuclear #Ukraine

Nature found some real experts and asked them some probing questions about the resilience of modern nuclear plants. Well worth reading, especially if you are a journalist with less access to experts nature.com/articles/d4158…

@kirstygogan @Channel4News @jonsnowC4 @FactCheck Yep, you’ll get no argument from me. I expect much better from @Channel4News

@MichaelBluck1 @Channel4News @jonsnowC4 @FactCheck Either way it’s inaccurate, misleading and undermines @Channel4News reputation for quality journalism.

.@Channel4News @jonsnowC4 fix your inaccurate headline please to honour the 20,000 victims whose lives were lost as a result of the #Tohokuearthquake and tsunami. Although terrible in its impact on people's lives, the nuclear accident caused no direct loss of life. @FactCheck

This afternoon the @GREENCDT and Nuclear Energy Futures CDTs held a workshop on #nuclear cogeneration. Students performed brilliantly in small teams to answer questions on district heating, #hydrogen production, economics, working with #renewables and #netzero. Well done all!

Remote lab kits sent by Imperial to second year Mechanical Engineering students, unboxed: youtube.com/watch?v=kWHt6j…

Harnessing the surplus energy from nuclear power could help cut UK carbon emissions by heating homes, producing hydrogen and decarbonising industry, says a new report from the Royal Society. Find out more about #nuclear cogeneration: royalsociety.org/news/2020/10/n…

Recommended read!

@MrJamesMay Meal. It’s mean and utilitarian

What is the ugliest word in English? I think it may be ‘trousers’.

"Even climate activists are shifting on nuclear" @BMatB @andrewhsherry @MalcolmGrimston & Eugene Shwageraus write to @FT on the case that #nuclear power, alongside renewables, is needed to reach #netzero ow.ly/wajs50AlwJx