The nuclear boy scout

[PMC]

Cymric wrote:

asian1 wrote:

Is it possible to create a small, simple, portable and SAFE Nuclear Reactor for generating energy?

First define what you think is acceptably safe, then we'll continue the discussion :-).

Not siting the reactor above a fault line, in a flood prone area or making sure the plant is kept in good working order all help.

The fall of communism in Eastern Europe allowed western nuclear inspectors into the Soviet era nuclear plants and they were apalled at what they saw.  Electrical relays were held in place with empty cigarette packs, a nuclear plant was actually constructed on top of a known fault line and employed some scarily low quality construction techniques.  

Of course, this yeilded the Soviet Union plentiful supplies of weapons grade material but the legacy of the old plants remain - as does the reactors inside dozens of rusting hulks permanantly moored in ex soviet naval yards.