Safe, TL 7 suitcase sized nuke power plant, for real.

[locarno24]

Actually, it is in the working prototype stage right now. Also, the generator is the Stirling engine. Did you read the whole article?

Yes I did:

the concept that was presented this week at a meeting of the American Chemical Society

You do not "present a concept" if you have a working prototype. Similarly:

NASA and the Department of Energy are teaming up to develop a suitcase-sized nuclear fission reactor

"Are teaming up to develop". Therefore the act of development is being referred to in a future tense.

 

[DFW]

You do not "present a concept" if you have a working prototype. Similarly:

Don't know what to say Slim. There is a working prototype. Does that drive you nuts or something?

 

[locarno24]

I apologise if incorrect. Could you point out where in the article you linked to (http://dvice.com/archives/2011/08/suitcase-nukes.php) it says there is a working prototype of the 'pocket fission generator'?

I know Sterling RTGs have seen use but as you yourself pointed out, that's not the same thing as an actual fission plant.

 

[DFW]

I know Sterling RTGs have seen use but as you yourself pointed out, that's not the same thing as an actual fission plant.

Do you know what defines a fission pp?

Anyway, I got the original link from a friend from JPL who is working on the prototype right now. Just so you know, this is a REALLY simple contraption. The biggest challenge is the cooling system being made modular and compact. The other parts are tried and true.

 

[locarno24]

Do you know what defines a fission pp?

Yes. The reference to Sitrling RTGs in my last post was because that's the only actually in-service system mentioned in the article you linked to.

The biggest challenge is the cooling system being made modular and compact.

Indeed. It's also the most important bit of the whole thing and without it you cannot claim to have a working system. What you have is a critical mass of uranium and an imminent localised meltdown.

Anyway, I got the original link from a friend from JPL who is working on the prototype right now.

In which case congratulations to your friend, this sounds like a very interesting project to be involved in.

However I still stand by the previous comments that it is not a working system. If they are still working on the prototype (i.e. trying to figure out how to get something to work within the system constraints*, especially the cooling system), then claiming it is in the 'working prototype stage' is misleading at best.

* presumably volume and mass, given the application.

 

[DFW]

However I still stand by the previous comments that it is not a working system.

You can state whatever you like. Not really relevant to the situation as they have a working prototype.