Date:         Fri, 13 Apr 2001 10:07:57 -0700
Reply-To:     "Scott G. Terry" <sgterry@ENGINEERING.UCSB.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Scott G. Terry" <sgterry@ENGINEERING.UCSB.EDU>
Subject:      energy
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>>I'll keep everyone informed if my tail light lenses, go into nuclear
>>meltdown.

Andrew replied:
>That's ATOMIC meltdown. Nuclear power is fusion and cannot melt down... no
>radioactives or metal fuels involved.

I hate to nitpick, but since we're correcting one another here
I disagree  with Andrew's reply...
Nuclear energy is the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom.
This energy can be released by fission OR fusion.  I don't think
there are any fusion reactors outside of laboratories.  Most nuclear
reactors used for power generation are fission reactors.
They use heavy metals for fuel.  They can "melt down" if the chain
reaction process of fission becomes uncontrolled.   They create radioactive
"by-products."
So-called fusion weapons utilize fission "jackets" to increase
their explosive yield and will thus produce significant radioactive
fallout.

I know all this because I'm currently converting our '85
Westy to a fusion powered engine.  I'll be containing the 100,000 degree
plasma in a coffee-can sized magnetic-confinement tokamak I built in our
garage.
Apparently, I'll need the bellhousing from a diesel to
do the conversion.  I think it was on a listmember's site
that I remember reading that the digijet ECU will manage the reactor
if I ground pin 42.

Have a good Friday all!

Scott