Chapter 107: Nuclear Energy (For Everyone's Tips, Added Chapter)_1

Jiang Yu saw that quite a few male researchers were looking a bit pale, and he nodded in satisfaction.

Indeed, walking around with Sixteen, the "ultimate weapon," was the only way to feel at ease.

Otherwise, in a place like this where women were already scarce, and beauties like Yang Dong were even rarer, not declaring one's sovereignty was very risky.

It took the leaders at the base a second or two to catch on, and they hadn't expected Yang Dong to have that kind of relationship with the Wallfacer, Jiang Yu.

But wasn't it clearly written in Yang Dong's file that she was single?

The leaders then sighed internally: Young people nowadays really know how to play the field, having such a big kid and not even married!

Yang Dong smiled and asked Sixteen, "Who taught you to say that?"

Sixteen glanced at Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu coughed twice and turned his head to look elsewhere.

Yang Dong patted Sixteen's head without explaining anything, and many male researchers felt a sinking feeling in their hearts – this was practically an acknowledgment!

The welcome ceremony continued, with the base leaders giving a brief welcome speech, and Jiang Yu also gave a brief speech to express his thanks.

Then came the tour of the base. Originally, the leaders had planned to accompany Jiang Yu throughout, but once they knew the Wallfacer and Yang Dong were "a couple," they decided not to follow and be a nuisance.

So, the tour group consisted only of Jiang Yu, Yang Dong, and Sixteen.

Only after everyone else had left did Yang Dong ask Sixteen, "How come you're going along with his nonsense?"

Sixteen chuckled, "He said he wanted to find you to be my mom, and I think you two are quite suitable."

Moreover, Jiang Yu had promised that he would bring Sixteen along on all his inspections in the future and even take Sixteen to the Great Northwest for sand racing.

Yang Dong glanced at Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu scratched his head, "Sorry, I was a bit selfish in this matter because being a Wallfacer comes with certain risks that could easily endanger you.

"But you see, if I didn't make a stand quickly, I was afraid that later I would have to endure the sight of you and someone else's wedding sweets."

After thinking it over, Yang Dong replied, "That's fine, it will keep some people, who are like flies, from following me around all the time. Besides, my work is quite dangerous anyway!"

Then she took the lead, "Come this way, I'll take you to see the Artificial Sun Number Three first."

Jiang Yu clapped his hands, nearly bursting with joy: She actually got it! She really understood what I was trying to say!

Sixteen tugged on Jiang Yu's sleeve, bringing him back to his senses, and he quickly followed her.

Artificial Sun Number Three was a nuclear fission power station upgrade project led by Yang Dong. According to her, the project had two directions: a lead-based reactor and a thorium-based reactor.

The biggest problem with nuclear fission power stations was the waste. This stuff remains radioactive for tens of thousands of years and can seep into the groundwater system if left unmanaged, causing inestimable nuclear pollution.

The cost of handling nuclear waste is often a significant part of the cost of nuclear power generation.

Some countries spend a lot of money to store it in special containers that are said to remain undamaged for twenty thousand years.

Some countries, unwilling to spend the money, simply bury it and don't care if it pollutes their own land.

Then there are countries with the least integrity that discharge their contaminated wastewater into the sea.

During the space race of the last century, people found the optimal solution for dealing with nuclear waste: carve out a region on the Moon designated exclusively for the storage of nuclear waste.

However, the cost of launching nuclear waste into space from Earth is also very high.

Especially after the space race ended, the two great powers' moon-related spacecraft and rocket production lines were suspended one after another, making the implementation of this plan even more difficult.

The lead-based reactor led by Yang Dong utilizes lead elements to allow nuclear waste to continue generating residual heat, ultimately reducing the emission of nuclear waste by 99%.

The initial main fuel for this type of reactor is still uranium, but it uses lead elements to make the main fuel's waste undergo a second, third, or even more reactions, thus maximizing the consumption of the nuclear waste's residual energy.

As for thorium-based reactors, the concept had already emerged in the 1960s.

The advantage of thorium-based reactors is that the main fuel is thorium, an element that is relatively easy to obtain, and the nuclear waste produced is one-thousandth of a traditional nuclear power station's.

But because uranium-235 can be used to make atomic bombs, the countries that had mastered nuclear power plant technology at that time did not pay attention to this concept.

It was not until America began to wantonly manipulate oil and carbon prices that new energy became a challenge that late-developing countries had to overcome.

Yang Dong was able to achieve such great results so quickly because China had started to focus on the development of nuclear energy at the beginning of this century.

She introduced, "Currently, the thorium reserves we have identified in our country are enough for us to use for twenty thousand years!

"What a pity! In four hundred years, this land may change hands, and these resources will become someone else's."

As she spoke, she led Jiang Yu and the others into a sealed large door.

Jiang Yu comforted her, "Don't be so pessimistic. Even if this land were to change hands tomorrow, we still have to live today to the fullest."

Jiang Yu and Sixteen also entered through the door, and first, they saw a three-story-tall structure resembling a water tower; this was the reactor prototype of Morningstar-1.

Several workers in protective suits were performing maintenance or similar tasks on the equipment at the "top of the tower" or "below the tower."

Yang Dong explained that the protruding circular ring at the top is the entire facility's emergency cooling system, and the reactor is built in the middle of the "water tower."

Underneath is the emergency shutdown system; in case of a nuclear leak, the just-reacted nuclear fuel will flow into containers made of special materials located underground.

The prototype is currently undergoing final adjustments, and once it starts operating officially, it will release a large amount of heat, which will then be directed into the steam generator.

The subsequent process is similar to a thermal power plant, converting thermal energy into mechanical energy, and then into electrical energy.

Ordinary nuclear power plants typically build many such "water towers" side by side and then cover them with a "big lid" to prevent nuclear leaks.

Sixteen then asked, "If the more environmentally friendly controlled nuclear fusion project is already being actively researched, why upgrade nuclear fission power plants?"

Yang Dong explained, "Because when controlled nuclear fusion technology breakthroughs occur, they will be prioritized for use in space.

"Nuclear fusion fuel is very easy to obtain and is a very cheap source of energy, but building new nuclear power plants always requires time and cost.

"Relevant departments have planned that the general public might only be able to widely use electricity generated from nuclear fusion reactions thirty to forty years from now.

"This is an energy upgrade. It's not just about making a breakthrough in a key technology to complete the upgrade but requires a series of arrangements and controls.

"Before that happens, nuclear fission power stations still have residual heat to produce."

Sixteen nodded, indicating that she understood.

Next, Yang Dong took them to visit the Artificial Sun project, and while walking in that direction, Yang Dong said, "The 'Artificial Sun' project began last century.

"But a series of international turmoil at the end of last century prevented the project from making much progress.

"Later, China took over the project, using it to train a large number of controlled nuclear sudden change (fusion) researchers."