It may have degraded so that it can no longer heat a steam generator for the turbines in a poewer plant, but it is still hot enough - and will be for centuries to come - to run a Sterling cycle engine, which could be used to turn generators or alternators. So why is it wasted by being burried or stored, instead of used for it's remaining energy? Just shield the radiation (like a reactor is) and let it remain in service and profitable!
2007-03-04 05:31:35 · 3 answers · asked by barefoot_always 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
that's a great question?
Because it is more unstable than the original radiation, so it is more difficult to contain and use over.It is more difficult to predict degraded radiation's rate of disintegration.
Keep in mind that radioactive degradation results in releasing of energy, we don't know how much energy though!!
so before we have any accidents that we cannot control lets get rid of it. SAFELY
2007-03-04 05:49:37 · answer #1 · answered by curious 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good answer-question, but the Sterling cycle engine itself will become radioactive from the exposure to the radioactive materials.
2007-03-04 14:07:28 · answer #2 · answered by occluderx 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because people dotn care about how much energy their wasting, they care about how much $$ its costing them to save it.
2007-03-05 02:08:01 · answer #3 · answered by James 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋