As the title says; why can’t we just melt down the old fuel rods?
What would happen if we did melt them down?
Couldn’t we mix/contaminate them with another element to dilute the radioactive effects?
Most reactors work by heating water and turning turbines, why can’t we turn the spent fuel pools into a slow running reactors rather then using energy to keep them cool?
In: Physics
Fuel rods aren’t simply one kind of material to just melt down.
The easiest way to reduce their radioactive effects is to put them in a shielded location that people have minimal access to.
When they are spent, sure they do produce some heat, but not even close enough to produce steam to drive a turbine.
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