The Enron Egg is a compact nuclear reactor that uses Uranium-Zirconium Hydride (U-ZrH) fuel rods to generate heat through nuclear fission. This heat is transferred via a 3D-printed Inconel heat exchanger, powering a turbine to generate electricity. A closed-loop cooling system ensures safe operation without environmental contamination.
Amazing. And indeed, surely a multi-million dollar commission (in ‘90s dollars!) - the logo is from the same guy who did the logos for IBM and NeXT (among many others).
Before it has reached criticality for the first time, its contents are less toxic than hydrazine.
After criticality, the contents are more toxic than hydrazine. Nuclear reactors are safe because so much engineering and procedural effort goes into keeping the fuel and its fission products contained. The fission products include extremely toxic materials. Strontium-90, one of the more common medium-lifetime fission products, has an acute gram-for-gram lethality comparable to the nerve gas sarin. The fast-decaying fission products like strontium-89 are even worse, though by their very nature they don't persist for long in discarded fuel.
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The Enron Egg is a compact nuclear reactor that uses Uranium-Zirconium Hydride (U-ZrH) fuel rods to generate heat through nuclear fission. This heat is transferred via a 3D-printed Inconel heat exchanger, powering a turbine to generate electricity. A closed-loop cooling system ensures safe operation without environmental contamination.
The new Enron and the Enron Egg is all parody. I really wish it weren't!
https://www.ibtimes.com/enrons-satirical-comeback-meet-enron...
Crazy part is that he picked up the Enron trademark for $250!
Not like it had a lot of practical value. Sure, it cost a lot to design -- but all that value went down the drain in 2001.
This is honestly the real "hacker news". $250 for what was likely millions of dollars of visual design and global household name recognition
Amazing. And indeed, surely a multi-million dollar commission (in ‘90s dollars!) - the logo is from the same guy who did the logos for IBM and NeXT (among many others).
Paul Rand
The Enron logo has a couple of similarities to the Next computers logo.
https://www.paulrand.design/work/Enron.html
Would this really be more toxic than common refrigerants? Or e.g. hydrazine?
Before it has reached criticality for the first time, its contents are less toxic than hydrazine.
After criticality, the contents are more toxic than hydrazine. Nuclear reactors are safe because so much engineering and procedural effort goes into keeping the fuel and its fission products contained. The fission products include extremely toxic materials. Strontium-90, one of the more common medium-lifetime fission products, has an acute gram-for-gram lethality comparable to the nerve gas sarin. The fast-decaying fission products like strontium-89 are even worse, though by their very nature they don't persist for long in discarded fuel.