Nick Touran
@whatisnuclear.com
Ph.D./P.E. nuclear engineer and nuclear educator who runs https://whatisnuclear.com. Thinks about how to deliver nuclear power reliably and cheaply, advanced reactors, reactor history, energy.
Yesterday, Russia announced that its new nuclear-powered cruise missile flew for 15 hours straight. The US had such a thing in development in the 1950s (see film), but it looks like the Russians have finally gotten one operational. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMu...
Nuclear-powered Ramjet Cruise Missile: LASV-N1 (Progress Report 1963)
YouTube video by What is Nuclear?
www.youtube.com
October 26, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Yesterday, Russia announced that its new nuclear-powered cruise missile flew for 15 hours straight. The US had such a thing in development in the 1950s (see film), but it looks like the Russians have finally gotten one operational. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qMu...
Here's what neutron chain reaction dynamics kinda look like. The green bar is control rod position and the trace shows reactor power, starting at 1. After each control adjustment, there is a 'prompt jump' followed by a longer exponential tail from delayed neutrons.
October 12, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Here's what neutron chain reaction dynamics kinda look like. The green bar is control rod position and the trace shows reactor power, starting at 1. After each control adjustment, there is a 'prompt jump' followed by a longer exponential tail from delayed neutrons.
Man! I was at a workshop in my home state of Michigan on Thursday and we were brainstorming ideas to bring more nuclear power industry to the state. I mentioned that the Upper Peninsula has pretty good geology for a long-term nuclear waste repository (reducing environment, precambrian rock)....
October 11, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Man! I was at a workshop in my home state of Michigan on Thursday and we were brainstorming ideas to bring more nuclear power industry to the state. I mentioned that the Upper Peninsula has pretty good geology for a long-term nuclear waste repository (reducing environment, precambrian rock)....
Can't reply on the post for some reason... but after 3 years of shutdown it does not take that much cooling to keep the spent fuel cooled. Something like a garden hose of water going in should suffice. I'm not super worried about it.
@whatisnuclear.com @energybants.bsky.social
What are the chances for a meltdown after years of cooling? Thanks!
What are the chances for a meltdown after years of cooling? Thanks!
October 2, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Can't reply on the post for some reason... but after 3 years of shutdown it does not take that much cooling to keep the spent fuel cooled. Something like a garden hose of water going in should suffice. I'm not super worried about it.
Taking a Geiger counter on a flight with the sound on is a great way to get some serious side-eye from your neighbors, maybe leading to a good discussion about dose rate
October 1, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Taking a Geiger counter on a flight with the sound on is a great way to get some serious side-eye from your neighbors, maybe leading to a good discussion about dose rate
It's a true miracle of nature that water is both a good neutron moderator and reactor coolant. Its ability to moderate and cool at the same time is quite underappreciated in today's pro-nuclear circles.
September 23, 2025 at 1:29 PM
It's a true miracle of nature that water is both a good neutron moderator and reactor coolant. Its ability to moderate and cool at the same time is quite underappreciated in today's pro-nuclear circles.
The first Boiling Water Reactor experiments (BORAX) www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLlK...
BORAX: Construction and Operation of a Boiling Water Power Reactor
YouTube video by What is Nuclear?
www.youtube.com
September 21, 2025 at 3:29 PM
The first Boiling Water Reactor experiments (BORAX) www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLlK...
Pretty neat model of a PWR from the 1965 Boy Scouts Atomic Energy merit badge book. Honestly, building this would help kids understand quite a bit about a reactor.
August 30, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Pretty neat model of a PWR from the 1965 Boy Scouts Atomic Energy merit badge book. Honestly, building this would help kids understand quite a bit about a reactor.
Looking into the core of BORAX-5, which pushed the limits of what a BWR could do: nuclear superheat and natural circulation. The superheat region is in the center. BWRs today are not so bold as to superheat steam. Have materials improved enough to try again? Probably!
August 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Looking into the core of BORAX-5, which pushed the limits of what a BWR could do: nuclear superheat and natural circulation. The superheat region is in the center. BWRs today are not so bold as to superheat steam. Have materials improved enough to try again? Probably!
We need Nuclear Reactor Consumer Labels! whatisnuclear.com/news/2025-08...
Nuclear Reactor Consumer Labels
We should collect and display reactor data in 'Nutrition Facts' format to improve accuracy, standardization, and clarity
whatisnuclear.com
August 9, 2025 at 11:28 AM
We need Nuclear Reactor Consumer Labels! whatisnuclear.com/news/2025-08...
Getting these 45 historical nuclear films from 1955-83 dug up and digitized has been one of the coolest and most rewarding things I've done with What is Nuclear. Thanks to you all for your interest and support in this project!
There are only ~100 left to get.
whatisnuclear.com/museum/
There are only ~100 left to get.
whatisnuclear.com/museum/
August 4, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Getting these 45 historical nuclear films from 1955-83 dug up and digitized has been one of the coolest and most rewarding things I've done with What is Nuclear. Thanks to you all for your interest and support in this project!
There are only ~100 left to get.
whatisnuclear.com/museum/
There are only ~100 left to get.
whatisnuclear.com/museum/
For all you Anki users out there (free spaced repetition learning app), I made a deck for memorizing the US Nuclear Power Plants. Planning to expand it more later but it's starting out with just the operational commercial units. ENJOY! github.com/whatisnuclea...
GitHub - whatisnuclear/nuclear-plant-anki-deck: Anki cards for memorizing info about nuclear power plants
Anki cards for memorizing info about nuclear power plants - whatisnuclear/nuclear-plant-anki-deck
github.com
August 2, 2025 at 1:46 AM
For all you Anki users out there (free spaced repetition learning app), I made a deck for memorizing the US Nuclear Power Plants. Planning to expand it more later but it's starting out with just the operational commercial units. ENJOY! github.com/whatisnuclea...
Observation: the actions that get more investors to buy into your nuclear company are currently the opposite of those needed to develop an economical, operable, maintainable, and safe nuclear plant.
Anyone have ideas about how to bring these back into alignment?
Anyone have ideas about how to bring these back into alignment?
July 26, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Observation: the actions that get more investors to buy into your nuclear company are currently the opposite of those needed to develop an economical, operable, maintainable, and safe nuclear plant.
Anyone have ideas about how to bring these back into alignment?
Anyone have ideas about how to bring these back into alignment?
CNA in Singapore produced a nuclear power documentary called "The Nuclear Option" that you can watch online. They visited many key places and talked to lots of people. It came together super well! www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
The Nuclear Option - YouTube
www.youtube.com
July 22, 2025 at 12:11 PM
CNA in Singapore produced a nuclear power documentary called "The Nuclear Option" that you can watch online. They visited many key places and talked to lots of people. It came together super well! www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Beryllium triflute that fit between the pins in the PPA.
Who's working on beryllium triflutes today?!
Who's working on beryllium triflutes today?!
July 3, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Beryllium triflute that fit between the pins in the PPA.
Who's working on beryllium triflutes today?!
Who's working on beryllium triflutes today?!
Here's Preliminary Pile Assembly-19, where rotating control drums were first mocked up in a critical facility around 1951. Note the six smaller hexagon outlines on each corner of the central hex, each of which represents a control drum.
July 3, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Here's Preliminary Pile Assembly-19, where rotating control drums were first mocked up in a critical facility around 1951. Note the six smaller hexagon outlines on each corner of the central hex, each of which represents a control drum.
We debate this endlessly within the pro-nuclear world, but I really don't think it's super complicated. There's plenty of room to promote either without throwing the other under the bus.
July 2, 2025 at 11:17 AM
We debate this endlessly within the pro-nuclear world, but I really don't think it's super complicated. There's plenty of room to promote either without throwing the other under the bus.
New safety minute about the WTR fuel failure whatisnuclear.com/safety-minut...
The Westinghouse Test Reactor Fuel Melt
Fuel fabrication must have minimal defects
whatisnuclear.com
July 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
New safety minute about the WTR fuel failure whatisnuclear.com/safety-minut...
Here's the Neutronics Scoping Tool, which allows you to dial in a certain core height, radius, enrichment, and power rating and see if it will go critical and how long it will run. Then, it estimates the fuel LCOE, average discharge burnup, and a whole lot more. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQzD...
Neutronics Scoping Tool demonstration
YouTube video by What is Nuclear?
www.youtube.com
June 28, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Here's the Neutronics Scoping Tool, which allows you to dial in a certain core height, radius, enrichment, and power rating and see if it will go critical and how long it will run. Then, it estimates the fuel LCOE, average discharge burnup, and a whole lot more. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQzD...
Big Rock Point in Northern Michigan was the prettiest nuclear plant.
It's crazy that one little 71 MWe plant like this can make enough electricity to power a whole county in peak fudgie season.
It's crazy that one little 71 MWe plant like this can make enough electricity to power a whole county in peak fudgie season.
June 28, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Big Rock Point in Northern Michigan was the prettiest nuclear plant.
It's crazy that one little 71 MWe plant like this can make enough electricity to power a whole county in peak fudgie season.
It's crazy that one little 71 MWe plant like this can make enough electricity to power a whole county in peak fudgie season.
The Rickover memo in the form of a Dunning-Kruger curve whatisnuclear.com/news/2025-06...
Rickover's Memo as a Dunning-Kruger Curve
The Rickover memo can be depicted as a Dunning-Kruger effect
whatisnuclear.com
June 26, 2025 at 11:11 AM
The Rickover memo in the form of a Dunning-Kruger curve whatisnuclear.com/news/2025-06...
Natural uranium is mostly U-238, with a 4.5 billion yr half-life. A kg of it kicks out 12M alpha particles per second with 4 MeV of energy each, generating 8 microwatts of ionizing radiation. It's not super hazardous, and you can hold it in the palm of your hand with a glove.
June 22, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Natural uranium is mostly U-238, with a 4.5 billion yr half-life. A kg of it kicks out 12M alpha particles per second with 4 MeV of energy each, generating 8 microwatts of ionizing radiation. It's not super hazardous, and you can hold it in the palm of your hand with a glove.
After much effort, I'm happy to finally present the Universal Reactor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This MOU is hereby issued between all current and future reactor companies and all current and future power customers. Congrats to all.
June 18, 2025 at 1:46 PM
After much effort, I'm happy to finally present the Universal Reactor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This MOU is hereby issued between all current and future reactor companies and all current and future power customers. Congrats to all.
I just won a chunk of graphite from the world's first man-made nuclear reactor (CP-1) in a raffle from at the #ANSAnnual conference. I've desperately wanted one of these for decades, and entered at the last minute, thanks to a serendipitous seating at the lunch table. I'm so lucky and grateful!
June 17, 2025 at 7:53 PM
I just won a chunk of graphite from the world's first man-made nuclear reactor (CP-1) in a raffle from at the #ANSAnnual conference. I've desperately wanted one of these for decades, and entered at the last minute, thanks to a serendipitous seating at the lunch table. I'm so lucky and grateful!
Reposted by Nick Touran
June 16, 2025 at 9:32 PM