Nuclear Energy Roundup: Kazakhstan Uranium Production, Japan Breeder Reactor and More

1. The Department of Energy’s (DoE) Office of the Inspector General (IG) has concluded that the DoE has not followed through adequately on various promising potential applications for depleted Uranium. The DoE should do more to avoid having to treat the entire inventory as waste, according to the department’s own internal watchdog. The DoE has …

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Mr. Roarke and Number Six Have Died

Ricardo Montalban dies at age 88. Famous for Mr Roarke on Fantasy Island and Khan Noonien Singh on Star Trek. Patrick McGoohan Dead At 80 famous for being Number Six on the Prisoner. The Prisoner Number Six on a Break from the Island Village Mr Roarke on Fantasy Island

New Ground Telescopes and Near Term Space Telescopes

Ground Telescopes underway now. Among telescopes projects under way in 2009 are: • A major upgrade of the 19-year-old Hubble Space Telescope, including two advanced detectors that will vastly improve its vision for another five years. • A bigger European rival to Hubble called the Herschel Space Observatory. • ALMA, an array of 50-plus telescopes …

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US and China Look at Accelerated Retirement of Inefficient Cars

The Accelerated Retirement of Inefficient Vehicles Retirement Act of 2009 (ARIVA)—also called the “Cash for Clunkers” program—would reimburse drivers with a credit of up to $4,500 for scrapping vehicles with a when-new fuel economy rating of less than 18 mpg US as reported by the original manufacturer for purposes of CAFE compliance if they trade …

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Steven Chu Vows to Push Nuclear Power

Steven Chu said on Tuesday that he would push as the new energy secretary to help the nuclear energy and clean coal industries jump-start their contributions to battle the nation’s energy crisis. The Nobel Prize-winning physicist told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during his confirmation hearing that he’d help streamline nuclear loan guarantees …

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Solid State Laser Programs On Track for 2013 Field Tests

Textron solid state lasers Aviation Week reports on the status of military solid state lasers. Hellad [High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System] program small [size of a large refrigerator and about 1650 pounds] 150KW lasers are working to ground tests in 2011 and will include a demonstration of the system’s ability to shoot down …

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36.5 Megawatt superconducting motor Successfully Tested at Full Power

-American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: AMSC), a leading energy technologies company, and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) announced today at the Surface Navy Association’s 21st National Symposium the successful completion of full-power testing of the world’s first 36.5 megawatt (49,000 horsepower) high temperature superconductor (HTS) ship propulsion motor at the U.S. Navy’s Integrated Power System Land-Based …

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Plenty of Money for Energy and Nuclear Power

President-elect Barack Obama has put forth a goal to reduce carbon emissions in the U.S. by 80% by 2050, using $150 billion over 10 years to create a “clean-energy” future. Cambridge Energy Research Associates has estimated that the potential for world-wide investment in clean energy, of which nuclear generation is the focal point, will reach …

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Status of Carbon Nanotubes for Wiring, Superink, Super-Batteries and other Applications

1. Super carbon nanotube batteries MIT Technology Review reports researchers at MIT have made pure, dense, thin films of carbon nanotubes that show promise as electrodes for higher-capacity batteries and supercapacitors. Dispensing with the additives previously used to hold such films together improved their electrical properties, including the ability to carry and store a large …

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