The Nuclear Waste Cannon is the ideal nuclear waste disposal method.
Updated: December 11, 2011
Recent reports from Japanese news broadcasts concerning how things are going for the Japanese after the disaster at the Fukishimi Nuclear Power Plant are included in the Recent Nuclear Waste News shown on the sidebar at the left of this page.
SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEMS WITH NUCLEAR POWER:
TWO SOLUTIONS:
1) BUILD A PLACE TO STORE THE WASTE
2) GET THE WASTE OFF THE EARTH
QUICK SUMMARY:
* 1,000,000 TONS OF NUCLEAR WASTE ALREADY EXISTS AND THE QUANTITY IS GROWING
* MOST CURRENT PLANS INCLUDE BURIAL OF THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE
* 640+ NUCLEAR REACTORS AROUND THE WORLD ARE GENERATING MORE AND MORE WASTE
* OTHER SOURCES OF MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE INCLUDE MEDICAL AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
* IN MANY CASES THE WASTE MUST BE STORED NEAR THE REACTOR - NO LARGE CENTRAL STORAGE SITES EXIST
* AROUND THE WORLD STORAGE LOCATIONS ARE SITTING THERE JUST WAITING FOR DISASTER, A BLACK SWAN
* THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN STORAGE PROPOSAL HAS AN ESTIMATED COST OF $92 BILLION
* (see http://www.energy.gov/news/6451.htm for Yucca Mountain data)
* THE NUCLEAR WASTE CANNON HAS AN ESTIMATED COST OF $80 TO $120 BILLION
* YUCCA MOUNTAIN WILL HOLD 109,300 METRIC TONS OF HEAVY METAL
* A LARGE MAGNETIC CANNON IS INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM FOR LAUNCHING THE NUCLEAR WASTE INTO THE SUN
* THE CANNON WILL MOVE 1,000,000 TONS OF ALL KINDS OF NUCLEAR WASTE OFF THE EARTH AND INTO THE SUN
* YUCCA MOUNTAIN HAS A PLANNED LIFE OF 150 YEARS
* THE CANNON WILL ELIMINATE ALL NUCLEAR WASTE WITHIN 20 YEARS
* THE CANNON WILL BE USEFUL AS A SPACE CARGO LAUNCHER INDEFINITELY
* THE DIFFICULTY IS SIMILAR TO THE ALASKAN PIPELINE OR A 15 MILE SUBWAY IN EARTHQUAKE COUNTRY
* FIRST PRODUCTION FIRINGS CAN START APPROXIMATELY 12 TO 15 YEARS AFTER FUNDING
What can be done about this problem? Can this dangerous waste be shot from the earth?
Is a NUCLEAR WASTE CANNON feasible?: (ABSOLUTELY YES, see the following extract from an MIT report, written 31 years ago. The full text of this report is included under CRITICAL STUDIES.)
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Overview of Electromagnetic Guns
ELECTROMAGNETIC GUNS, LAUNCHERS and REACTION ENGINES*
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory**
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
1980
Henry Kolm, Kevin Fine, Fred Williams and Peter Mongeau
Abstract
Space Vehicle Launcher
The application of mass drivers for lunar launching and for use as reaction engines in orbital transfer has already been studied extensively[7]. However, the possibility of electromagnetic earth-based launching, proposed by science fiction writers since the forties, has never before been considered seriously. On the basis of computer software developed by NASA in connection with the Venus lander[21], it appears quite practical.
A telephone-pole shaped vehicle 8 inches in diameter and 20 feet in length, weighing 1.5 tonnes, accelerated to 20 km/s at sea level would traverse the 8 km atmosphere in half a second, emerging at 16 km/s, which is enough velocity to escape the solar system. It would lose 3 to 6 percent of its mass by ablation of a carbon shield. Initial projectile energy would be 300 x 10^9 joule, one third of which would be lost in traversing the atmosphere.
The launch energy may seem formidable, but it amounts to only 83 MW-hrs, which represents several minutes of output by a large metropolitan utility plant. The required launcher would be 20 km long at 1,000 g acceleration; it would be only 2 km long, less than a small airport runway, at 10,000 g, which should be easily attainable. Such a launcher could be installed on a hillside, or in a vertical hole made by an oversize rotary well drilling rig.
One potential application is the disposal of nuclear waste. 2,000 tons of waste will be generated between 1980 and 2000. This waste could be launched out of the solar system by using off-peak power from a utility plant at a cost corresponding to only 2 cents per kw-hr of generated power which produced the waste. Considering that the average cost of power during the period will be 22 cents per kw-hr, this waste disposal cost is very low.
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ONE SENTENCE GOAL - BUILD A NUCLEAR WASTE CANNON
Build a system to move nuclear waste off the earth and into the sun. No nuclear waste should be stored underground until the Nuclear Waste Cannon has been proven to be technically and economically unattainable.
STATUS OF PROJECT PLANS (11/14/2009)
The first versions of the detailed plans for Phase I and Phase II have been completed (See attachments 1 and 2, below; it is in OPENPROJ format). The estimated cost for Phase I is $40 billion if 100% overhead is assumed. Complertion of Phase I would be in January 2015. No assignments have yet been approved for the Critical Studies. Several government entitities have been advised.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The tasks under 1.1 Critical Studies, need to be started as soon as possible. An unfavorable result from any of these studies could potentially stop further progress on the cannon. The Critical Study tasks are of a size such that a single person or a small group could accomplish each. The goal is for all study tasks to be completed as soon as possible but in any case not later than Jan 1, 2012.
If you would like to volunteer to perform a Critical Study please let me know at michaelgodfrey@buildnwc.org. Be sure to write up and submit a detailed description of the study you intend to perform and what the results will consist of.
PROGRAM PLAN
A Program Plan for the development of a nuclear waste cannon (NWC) is underway and should be finalized by January 2012. The NWC will ultimately be used to fire up to 1 million tons of nuclear waste into the sun over a period of 20 to 30 years. The overall plan will include an evacuated pipe (cannon barrel) some several miles long. The cannon will be constructed up the side of a tall mountain (such as Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador). A projectile containing approximately 1000 lbs of payload will be fired through the cannon. As a starting point it will be assumed that the projectile will be accelerated magnetically and will be levitated magnetically. The exit end of the NWC will include a length of specialized cannon that will allow the projectile to exit with minimum loss of vacuum in the main barrel. This exit end will also be used to fine tune the exit velocity. After exit from the cannon the projectile will pass through the atmosphere and will arrive in outer space at the velocity needed to arrive at the sun. The moon, Venus, and Mercury may be used to redirect the trajectory of the projectile such that that the NWC may be fired as often as possible.
INITIAL TEST PERIOD
The NWC Program wil be pursued in three phases. Phase 1 will develop the cannon and pre production models of the projectiles. Phase 2 will be a 5 year reliability and accuracy test program. Phase 3 will be the initial operation of the NWC. During Phase 2 the NWC will be used to send fuel and other supplies to either moon orbit or possibly to one of the stable points in the earth's orbit. A net arrangement will allow capture of the projectiles as they arrive at the moon or in some cases the projectiles will be hard landed on the moon..
LAUNCH OF NUCLEAR WASTE PROJECTILES
Once the NWC accuracy and reliability have been established during Phase 2 the NWC will begin firing projectiles containing nuclear waste. These projectiles will be directed into the sun where they will be converted to gas. The projectiles will have no measurable impact on the sun.
OTHER USES FOR THE CANNON
The NWC will also be used as a cargo launcher to send fuel and other supplies to either moon stations, Mars stations, or into other temporary outer space storage areas. The cannon may also be used to destroy/deflect threatening asteroids/comets.
ORGANIZATION OF THE PROGRAM
Projects addressing each aspect of the efforts needed to design, build, test , and operate the cannon will be set up. An initial breakdown of those projects is shown in the links above on the left side of this page and are shown in detail in the attached Schedules.
