Toshiba Goes Nuclear

[admin]

Reuters ran a story this week that Toshiba Corp, primarily known for its consumer electronics, said on Thursday it had launched a new company in the United States, Toshiba American Nuclear Energy Corp, to enhance its nuclear power businesses. Toshiba purchased Westinghouse almost two years ago (in February of 2006) from British Nuclear Fuels for around $5.4 billion.Westinghouse, based outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utility companies around the world. The company has become a sought-after property because it is bidding to build four nuclear reactors in China.

Discuss "Toshiba Goes Nuclear" here. Read the article.

 

[Jack Hammer]

... one year ago (in February of 2006)...

Something doesn't add up in that sentence.

I think it'll be interesting to see how their 4S stuff pans out. It sounds much more environmentally friendly and cheaper and safer. That said, I'm always a little leary of companies claims.

Jack

 

[mike c]

Toshiba will nuke BD into extinction.

 

[Audioholics]

Fixed. Thank you!

 

[stratman]

I hope they do better with nukes than with HD DVD!

 

[EJ1]

I hope they do better with nukes than with HD DVD!

Ba-zing!

 

[Seth=L]

So Toshiba is partially responsible for the Westinghouse TVs? Because they started showing up about 2 years ago. If this is the case, it explains a lot. I really like the 32" Westinghouse LCD tv I am considering purchasing.

 

[kicknsupra]

Toshiba will nuke BD into extinction
i was going to say the same thing

 

[allargon]

So Toshiba is partially responsible for the Westinghouse TVs? Because they started showing up about 2 years ago. If this is the case, it explains a lot. I really like the 32" Westinghouse LCD tv I am considering purchasing.

The one I did purchase sucks but was good for the money a year ago. W32W6 LCD -- can't deinterlace 1080i, cheap polymer (not glass) screen, motion blur on low bandwidth 1080i, display locks up on OTA when signal strength is low (I mean you actually have to unplug it from the wall to get it back), HDMI audio drops out (This is audioholics! Most will have a receiver/processor for audio so not an issue.)

I have to ask the guys who run this site why they posted this. This is cool and all. (I have a degree in mechanical engineering and work in IT.) However, this has diddly squat to do with home theater, audio, hi-fi stereo, etc.

 

[stratman]

The one I did purchase sucks but was good for the money a year ago. W32W6 LCD -- can't deinterlace 1080i, cheap polymer (not glass) screen, motion blur on low bandwidth 1080i, display locks up on OTA when signal strength is low (I mean you actually have to unplug it from the wall to get it back), HDMI audio drops out (This is audioholics! Most will have a receiver/processor for audio so not an issue.)

I have to ask the guys who run this site why they posted this. This is cool and all. (I have a degree in mechanical engineering and work in IT.) However, this has diddly squat to do with home theater, audio, hi-fi stereo, etc.

Yup, neither does Wendy's fish sandwich, Cuban croquetas, Hot Rods, dating advice, recipes, photographic skills and host of other non-A/V issues talked about around here, but that's what makes this site the best, you get your A/V info and a bunch of culture to boot!

 

[Hi Ho]

Westinghouse TVs are not made by Westinghouse or Toshiba. They are manufactured by GE using whatever panel supplier they get the best deal on.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Allargon, I would imagine the site posted this because Toshiba is a fairly large CE co and was the subject of much recent debate here regarding its now defunct HD DVD. I find it interesting from time to time to see how some companies are into multiple areas of electronics.

Jack

 

[stratman]

Allargon, I would imagine the site posted this because Toshiba is a fairly large CE co and was the subject of much recent debate here regarding its now defunct HD DVD. I find it interesting from time to time to see how some companies are into multiple areas of electronics.

Jack

I have a DENON Cd from the late 80s early 90s with Steve Khan and Rob Mounsey. Who would have thought?

 

[mike c]

Yup, neither does Wendy's fish sandwich, Cuban croquetas, Hot Rods, dating advice, recipes, photographic skills and host of other non-A/V issues talked about around here, but that's what makes this site the best, you get your A/V info and a bunch of culture to boot!

yup. keeps us from being JUST audio geeks. we're FULL geeks

 

[stratman]

yup. keeps us from being JUST audio geeks. we're FULL geeks

COOL FULL Geeks! We can impress the ladies with our multi-faceted skills. Not just A/V, Baby! Formula 1, Nuclear Powerplants, you name it we got it!

 

[Seth=L]

Westinghouse TVs are not made by Westinghouse or Toshiba. They are manufactured by GE using whatever panel supplier they get the best deal on.

Still, Toshiba might still be using some of their design concepts to keep the Westinghouse a cut above in it's price range. The Westinghouse (after adjustments are made) looks as good as the Samsung, Sony Bravia, and the Philips 32" sets we carry at Wal-Mart. I have fiddled with the settings on them all a bit and have found the Westinghouse has very near the same video quality at $200 less than the others.

 

[Halon451]

Something doesn't add up in that sentence.

I think it'll be interesting to see how their 4S stuff pans out. It sounds much more environmentally friendly and cheaper and safer. That said, I'm always a little leary of companies claims.

Jack

They will have a difficult time competing, even with the new 4S technology, which is a radical departure from standard PWR or BWR reactor designs. Biggest hurdle to cross is output capacity - 10 MW, which by typical nuclear power generating standards is a mere drop in the bucket, when you consider the output of a regular PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) is on the order of 1000 MW average (standard commercial). This basically relegates it into the category shared by other renewable sources such as solar and wind energy - sure, the concept is great, but in real-life application it is not yet efficient enough to drive the industry forward. My guess is that they would best serve in plants utilized as a "peaking facility", used to supplement the grid only during periods of high energy usage overall. Maybe they will develop this technology on a larger scale at some point. Safer, and cheaper? Only at the cost of a much lower output capacity - you would have to build 100 of these babies to match the output of a single standard reactor. That kind of throws the argument out with the baby and the bath water doesn't it?

I saw an article on this a while back in my montly ANS (American Nuclear Society) newsletter, but didn't quite give it my full attention. I'll have to dig through and find it again and see what the ANS has to say about it.

Ah, fortunately this is an A/V site - long live Blu-ray! (Sorry Toshiba...)

 

[Jack Hammer]

... Only at the cost of a much lower output capacity - you would have to build 100 of these babies to match the output of a single standard reactor. That kind of throws the argument out with the baby and the bath water doesn't it?

Not neccesarily, you've got to start somewhere. This may or may not be the right place to start. Though it sounds like it could be a step in the right direction. Evan as it may not be able to power large cities, it may be viable as an alternative for more remote locations that don't need or warrant large reactors. Again, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out after implementation and if they can improve upon it.

Jack

 

[Halon451]

Not neccesarily, you've got to start somewhere. This may or may not be the right place to start. Though it sounds like it could be a step in the right direction. Evan as it may not be able to power large cities, it may be viable as an alternative for more remote locations that don't need or warrant large reactors. Again, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out after implementation and if they can improve upon it.

Jack

Well, very true - small scale definitely. The 4S design is currently being implemented in Galena, Alaska where 10MW is more than sufficient for a small village-type community. It is also the testing platform for future 4S expansion projects elsewhere. In my professional opinion, it is still premature to say whether or not the technology is safe and/or reliable, because it is not yet fully tested. If you ask anyone else in the nuclear power industry they will agree.

A lot has to happen in order for the NRC to give this design the proverbial two thumbs up, and it's not a quick process. It will involve extensive pre-license application reviews, formal and informal meetings between Toshiba officials and NRC staff, the actual application process - and then the real fun begins. I am sure that the design is solid and will prove to be worthy of NRC's approval, but until that time arrives, as a power professional myself, it is simply a matter of speculation as to its worth and real-world value once they begin coming online. I do not see a 10 MW reactor revolutionizing the way we generate power at this time - even back when I was operating reactors for the US Navy, the reactors we used on the ships were more than 15 times the thermal output capacity of the proposed 4S.

Not disagreeing with you Jack H., just stating my professional opinion that it is wise to not get too far ahead of yourself on this one. People have become far too desperate for the "Magic Bullet" that will solve our energy crisis once and for all, but you have to remain focused on the bigger picture overall. By the way, many newly proposed designs sits in the hands of the NRC at this moment, not just the 4S. It just happens that the topic found its way to AH this time, because Toshiba is behind it.

 

[majorloser]

Does this mean nuclear powered mono-block amps are around the corner?

Now if only they would have introduced a nuclear HD-DVD player earlier.