I know this is troll physic, but is it free if the material will run out?
Is it free if you have to conduct geological surveys to find the material, then do a bunch of digging to pull it out of the ground, then run a massive refining operation to get a moderately useful amount?
And then cement it up and dig it deep into the ground until it’s inert.
Paying for monitoring and contiguous safe storage for 20,000 years.
Surprisingly still not actually that expensive to do per GW compared to the costs of other generation technologies, except that you kinda have to need GW, rather than just KW or MW.
Okay, “cheap”!
The material will run out after a few billion billion billion terawatts have been generated, assuming with use both uranium and thorium. It’s like saying is solar free if the sun is going to run out?
Incidentally,
All solar power is nuclear power, and if you’re brave enough all nuclear power can be solar power.
"The power of the Sun…
…in the palm of my hand…!"
—Dr. Otto Octavius
Bypass the steam and generator and just put thermocouples all around it… Wire in series and you have plenty of voltage.
Water’s a pretty good radiation shield, otherwise Geiger counter go brrrr.
Omg, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Quick someone call NASA.
