DIY Nuclear Reactor

[Bullfrog]

Just like homemade a bombs. You can get probably 75 to 80% of the materials you need legally but getting the plutonium to complete it is impossible. You probably could build 80% of a nuclear reactor but getting fuel will be impossible

He was discussing building a fusion reactor, which in his example uses deuterium gas.

...
No radioactive isotopes would be used for fuel.
...

Easily found on instructables.com
https://www.instructables.com/Build-A-Fusion-Reactor/

Maybe at least read 1 post before replying?

 

[Bob A]

License required by NRC. There are actually lots of small research reactors (many more than you would imagine) besides the 94 US commercial power reactors out there.

NIH had a small reactor on their Bethesda campus for some srt of research; this was a few decades ago. The local Karens (they were prototypes; we hadn't developed the Full Retard models yet) clutched their pearls and opened all sphincters about the danger.

I forget how it eventually resolved, if I ever knew.

 

[boule]

What the OP describes is not strictly speaking a nuclear reactor in the words of a sustained fission reaction but one of the many variants of a Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusor

It basically ionizes hydrogen and accelerates the ions along the ball electrodes so they crash into each other. It does work with Deuterium or Tritium as fuel. It does show a net power consumption and a self-sustaining reaction is not possible. Output is visible light and neutrons and yes, those fusors have been used as commercial neutron sources with the De/De reaction. Don't worry, though, the actual flow density is kinda abysmal in amateur projects.

If you want to be sure of the legality, check if you can own a low-intensity neutron source. I doubt there is a problem, though, since this has been a popular high school project before too many Karens came along.

 

[Jakers07]

Nukes are fine, 3d printing?.....well.....

In before.. I solve the energy independence crisis in my garage but MGA introduces "Ghost Reactor" ban

 

[Jakers07]

What the OP describes is not strictly speaking a nuclear reactor in the words of a sustained fission reaction but one of the many variants of a Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusor

It basically ionizes hydrogen and accelerates the ions along the ball electrodes so they crash into each other. It does work with Deuterium or Tritium as fuel. It does show a net power consumption and a self-sustaining reaction is not possible. Output is visible light and neutrons and yes, those fusors have been used as commercial neutron sources with the De/De reaction. Don't worry, though, the actual flow density is kinda abysmal in amateur projects.

If you want to be sure of the legality, check if you can own a low-intensity neutron source. I doubt there is a problem, though, since this has been a popular high school project before too many Karens came along.

Agree, a self sustaining reaction is not likely possible. Thus, diminishing my interest.

A lot of helpful info in that Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor wiki

 

[Pinecone]

If fusion reactors were that easy and worked, we would not have to worry about generating electricity.

The linked fusion reaction does do fusion, but it does not seem to produce power, but it does use power.

 

[Jakers07]

If fusion reactors were that easy and worked, we would not have to worry about generating electricity.

The linked fusion reaction does do fusion, but it does not seem to produce power, but it does use power.

C'mon pinecone, where's your sense of ingenuity?

I try to avoid the mindset of "if something like that existed we would all know about it and have it readily available"..

Although that logic usually proves to be true

 

[dblas]

NIH had a small reactor on their Bethesda campus for some srt of research; this was a few decades ago. The local Karens (they were prototypes; we hadn't developed the Full Retard models yet) 0clutched their pearls and opened all sphincters about the danger.

I forget how it eventually resolved, if I ever knew.

University of Maryland in College Park has a small active nuclear reactor on campus, in one of the engineering buildings. The majority of College Park is oblivious to the fact that there is a nuclear reactor in town.

 

[boule]

University of Maryland in College Park has a small active nuclear reactor on campus, in one of the engineering buildings.

Buddy, that is a TRIGA-Reactor.
Think of it as a glorified pool heater with a peak thermal output that might just be sufficient to get an olympic swimming pool up to a reasonable temperature and no power generation to speak of. Thanks to a negative temp. fuel coefficient you are not supposed to be able to get it to melt down!
Big question is if the 250kw max generation they mention on their website is pulsed or continuously operating but other than that, think more "materials research" than "power generation". If they kept everything clean and no defects occured in the elements, you could even go for a swim in it.

"The group was to design a reactor so safe that it could be given to a bunch of high school children to play with, without any fear that they would get hurt.”

– Edward Teller

@Jakers07:
Not likely possible may be translated to "with our understanding of physics not possible short of divine intervention".
A Fusor is a fun project to build. We did so in school and short of our headmaster almost suffering a stroke on the presentation (This is NOT a bomb...... outlook for next semester: build fusion bomb) noone was harmed. We might have cought a few stray neutrons during operation but the dosage acumulated should have been equal to a day of skiing.

 

[Occam]

University of Maryland in College Park has a small active nuclear reactor on campus, in one of the engineering buildings. The majority of College Park is oblivious to the fact that there is a nuclear reactor in town.

I seem to recall that the NIST campus in Gaithersburg has a toy nuke as well. Don't know if they're still doing that kind of research there, but they do have some VERY big groundhogs, if you know what I mean.

 

[Slackdaddy]

Has no one learned that "Talking about" something is as "Illegal" as doing it ???

BTW, can someone tighten a AR barrel nut for me, before you all go to prison?

 

[Combloc]

Does anyone know if building a nuclear reactor for home power is legal in MD? Subsequently, does anyone have any experience with such things?

Ive tried searching past threads for discussions on the topic. Mods please forgive me and remove if this is not allowed.

No radioactive isotopes would be used for fuel.

This came up in a discussion with a friend who was considering a solar generator to power his house. Of course current events and energy independence came into the conversation.

Easily found on instructables.com
https://www.instructables.com/Build-A-Fusion-Reactor/

This is the best laugh I've had in a while. Thanks for posting this. The comments are absolutely HILARIOUS!!!


Check with Bob Lazar. Here's a good primer on all you need to know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UitiwiLpvKw

 

[lazarus]

So this is the part I'm not sure about. If using something like Deuterium gas as fuel instead of a radioactive isotope, does the NRC need to be involved?

No doubt, geothermal and solar would be much easier as well as cost effective .. But the thought of building something like this is really intriguing to me.

I apologize if someone addressed this further in.

No.

Fission reactor if you were pretty smart you could probably make a basic fission pile and power generation yourself if you can get uranium (ideally low enrichment). No it wouldn’t be legal without a heck of a lot of licensing and inspections. Plan on actually spending billions. At least hundreds of millions for a smaller research scale reactor to be SAFE and comply with the licensing rules.

Deuterium is used in fusion. And the answer is no, you can’t make one yourself. There is no commercial scale fusion reactors as the state of the science and engineering isn’t far enough along to make power production from fusion possible.

Either way, if you have to ask the question, no you aren’t capable of making either.

Yes, I am full of myself enough to know I could make a basic fission reactor given the money and time (investing low millions, supposing I skipped all the pesky licensing and inspections and went small scale).

Just get solar panels, an inverter and battery backup. I suggest hiring a contractor. The county will likely require you to anyway and if it’ll be true tied the utility will make you.

 

[Pinecone]

University of Maryland in College Park has a small active nuclear reactor on campus, in one of the engineering buildings. The majority of College Park is oblivious to the fact that there is a nuclear reactor in town.

Many universities do.

I remember friends who worked at MIT watching protesters march outside their window over the NH nuke power plant, "while bathed in the soft glow from one of the longest running reactors."

Protesters did not want a nuke reactor so close to Boston, not realizing there was one IN Boston.

 

[Don H]

Didn't work out so well for David Hahn.

 

[Melnic]

Didn't work out so well for David Hahn.

dupe
https://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=6591463&postcount=25


I think I'll stick with the water wheel in the creek using the car alternator.

 

[rcreynolds]

I think the ATF frowns on such things.

 

[lowoncash]

Thought a reactor was a seven day wait and a not disapproved from Jeff G?

 

[Jakers07]

Thanks for posting this.

Check with Bob Lazar. Here's a good primer on all you need to know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UitiwiLpvKw

Your welcome

I'll reach out to Lazar about possibly switching designs from fusion to antimatter reactor!

 

[hollyb1]

A nuclear reactor is really just a fancy way of creating steam to spin a turbine for electrical generation right? Better ways to heat up water for your Steam Turbine that scale down for the homestead vs a nuclear reactor. Some companies are working on reactors that fit in a shipping container and could power a small town/village but they are all prototypes.

You could look at a solid state Radio Thermoeletric Generator, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator, put those are usually low power super long term batteries for like space missions or light houses/buoys.