Ask A Scientist© Physics Archive

name         Bethany
status       educator
age          30s
       
Question -   While reading through a back issue of "Discovery"
magazine, April 94, I came across an short article concerning the Integral
Fast Reactor as a promising "new" technology.  What ever became of this
technology?  Thank you,  Bethany Dellagnello
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Uncle Sam pulled the plug.  Right after Clinton was elected president in
1992, he, his administration, and congress thought it was in the best
interest of the country to stop development of this promising technology.
Unfortunately, most people in this country hear the word "nuclear power" and
all they think of is Three Mile Island and nuclear weapons.  The IFR was
going to be a system that used nuclear fuel very efficiently and even more
safely than today's nuclear power plants.  The technology is still here at
Argonne in some ways, but for the most part, it is no longer a viable
project here.  Maybe someday we can continue to develop this technology to
the next level before the next energy crisis requires us to rush through it.
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