From Uranium to Magnesium
When mankind found coal to be useful as an energy source, civilization drastically expanded.
When mankind found crude oil to be useful as an energy source, civilization drastically expanded.
When mankind found uranium to be useful as an energy source, civilization however did not drastically expand.
But, now as some scientists have found magnesium to be useful as an energy source, civilized society might be drastically improved.
SECTION I: State of Tokyo
Everything is as usual in and around Tokyo nowadays, since planned outage by TEPCO is all cancelled.
Electricity is now fully supplied for houses, offices, shops, and factories. Radiation levels are all within a safety range. No suspected types of agricultural foods are delivered from a very restricted radiologically affected area around the Fukushima Daiichi (No.1) Nuclear Plant.
The only difference is found in the state of foreigners. The number of foreigners visiting Japan has fallen.
And, in a TV program, they say that some foreign media are reporting to the world that Tokyo is in a sea of fire; many Japanese were killed by the nuclear accident of Fukuhshima. But, Tokyo is as it was last year; no people were killed in Japan by radiation leaked from the Fukushima plant.
However, some Japanese makers, including Toyota, are in trouble collecting parts and providing them for overseas plants. Yet, 70 million corporate workers in Japan go to work every morning as they did last year except in the areas hit hard by the M9.0 Earthquake and the more-than-10-meter high tsunami on March 11.
SECTION II: General State of Fukushima Plant
Nonetheless, it must be admitted that it is not so normal that the Japanese Government issues a report on radiation levels in the air and of foods produced around Fukushima Prefecture everyday, and officials and staff of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and TEPCO hold press conferences everyday.
And, some Japanese think that the Government should tel the world that the Fukushima nuclear reactors all stopped power generation operation in safety one second after the occurrence of the big earthquake while the Chernobyl reactor continued its operation while having entered an emergency state till it was blown off.
The problem in Fukushima is failure in cooling nuclear fuel in the pressure vessels and the spent-fuel pools in containment vessels, since the cooling systems were damaged by the M9.0 earthquake and a 14-meter-high tsunami. And, there is a possibility that hydrogen bursts damaged some vessels. They are grave accidents. But, nuclear fuel are all inside the reactor vessels. The task remaining is to cool fuel and seal the building for housing the vessels. And this work is being carried out in full cooperation with the U.S. and France.
It might take still several days to see how long it will take to fix the case definitely.
SECTION III: Alternative Power Source: Magnesium
Magnesium can be used as a source to generate electricity as crude oil, natural gas, and coal can be.
This seems to be an original idea of a Japanese scientist.
(PhysOrg.com) -- There is enough magnesium to meet the world's energy needs for the next 300,000 years, says Dr. Takashi Yabe of the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
...
Magnesium is highly reactive and stores a lot of energy. Researchers are now devising ways to extract energy from magnesium in a more controlled method.
http://www.physorg.com/news191259549.html
Calorific power of oil is 44 mega joules/kilo-gram; coal 30 Mjoules/kg; timber 15 Mjoules/kg; and magnesium 25 Mjoules/kg.
Fossil fuels, namely oil, coal, and natural gas, are used in an amount of 100 billion tons per year as energy sources for mankind today. But, 1800 trillion tons of magnesium is included in the seawater surrounding the continents of the world. Accordingly, if we use magnesium at the same pace as that of fossil fuels, we can use magnesium for 300,000 years without depletion.
Mr. Yabe has an idea to use a "solar-pumped laser" system to extract magnesium from the sea economically.
After burning magnesium to generate electricity, magnesium turns to magnesium oxide. Again, the "solar-pumped laser" system can be used to extract metal magnesium from magnesium oxide. This cycle is perfect for realizing recycling of the energy source magnesium.
However, at present, without the "solar-pumped laser" system, costs for the refinery process to extract metal magnesium are huge. In order to get one ton of magnesium, 10 tons of coal is needed, which inhibits the use of magnesium as an alternative energy source.
(Click to enlarge.)http://www.mech.titech.ac.jp/~ryuutai/
Burning of Magnesium is tried in a science class of Japanese junior high-school.
http://www.ons.ne.jp/~taka1997/education/2003/chemistry/05/index.html
Production of Magnesium:
Rank...Country...Production...estimate for 2007 (metric tons)
1... China... 627,000
2... Russian Federation... 37,000
3... Israel... 25,000
4... Kazakhstan... 21,000
5... Brazil... 18,000
6... Canada... 16,300
7... Ukraine... 2,500
8... Serbia... 1,500
Source: USGS[16]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium#Production
When magnesium has come to be obtained from the sea, the world does not have to depend on China.
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A crude oil-based thermal power station has an index of potential danger evaluated as 1.
A crude oil-based thermal power station has an index of facility protection capability evaluated as 1.
A nuclear power plant has an index of potential danger evaluated as 100,000.
A nuclear power plant has an index of facility protection capability evaluated as 100.
Accordingly, the nuclear power plant is potentially 100,000 times dangerous than the crude oil-based thermal power station; the nuclear power plant is actually 100 times more protected than the crude oil-based thermal power station.
So, it is protected 100/100,000 = 1/1000 times what is required for protection of the nuclear power plant at the same level as the crude oil-based thermal power station.
The nuclear power plant must be strengthened 1000 times more than it is, in terms of safety.
If Tokyo Electric Power Company has spent $1 million for safety improvement conventionally, they have to increase the budget to $1 billion.
Yet, as I once wrote, the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant could be protected with $30,000 fortification work with external emergency power generators for emergency fuel-cooling water circulation pumps against a possible 14-meter high tsunami.
Honestly, check the potential danger of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (potentially 100,000 times dangerous than the crude oil-based thermal power station):
http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/kokusai/EER/eer_latest.pdf
Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.