THE TECHNOLOGY:   Coal-burning power plants typically use 1,000°F steam, far hotter than the 550°F steam temperature obtainable from conventional nuclear reactors.  A "Lite" alternative nuclear technology, the 1,700°F pebble bed reactor, now being introduced in several different countries, is hot enough to convert all coal-burning power plants to nuclear or to power new plants made from parts built for coal plants.

The thermodynamic efficiency of a coal plant's three stage steam turbine make coal burning power plants an extremely valuable asset.  To throw them away in an environmental frenzy would be throwing the baby out with the bath water. 

COAL 2 NUCLEAR PROJECT:   All 3 devices necessary for conversion are available now.  Like coal-burning boilers, pebble bed reactors can be economically mass-produced in many different factories avoiding production choke points. 

1. Install Reactor.  The reactors would be installed next to power plants in underground silos located in the plant's now-unneeded coal storage yard. 

2. Install Hot Water Heater.  The reactor's silo would also contain the reactor-heated hot water heater.

3. Install Steam Generator.  The heater's hot water would be piped from the reactor silo in the coal yard to the power plant's boiler area and connected to a new water-heated steam generator that duplicates the boiler's steam. 

4. Re-connect Generator Turbine.  The plant's feedwater pump and generator turbine would then be disconnected from the coal-burning boiler and re-connected to the new steam generator.  That's it.  Simplified drawing. 

MAKING IT HAPPEN:   There is no technical reason in the world we could not start on a "Coal Yard Nuke" demonstration facility tomorrow.  Westinghouse Nuclear,  PBMR South Africa, and McDermott International build the devices needed to make this happen. 

MIT's Dr. Andrew Kadak and Adams Atomic Engines, Inc.'s Rod Adams can provide critical nuclear guidance.  You can also find a pebble bed expert at: http://www-fae.iaea.org/index.cfm    MORE COAL YARD>>

HYBRID NUKES:  They are all-new versions of the same idea as above, built as new nuclear power plants assembled from new coal power plant parts.  100 to 600 megaWatt range.  Could cost half as much per kiloWatt as today's conventional nukes to build and less to run.  By constraining the nuclear equipment to a silo module, the nuclear overhead costs could also be constrained.  MORE HYBRID>>
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