Before the NSA deletes this post, we’ll be clear: We’re talking about a model of a nuclear reactor, not the real thing. Using Legos, [wgurecky] built a point kinetic reactor model that interfaces with the reactor simulator, pyReactor.
Even without the Lego, the Python code demonstrates reactor control in several modes. In power control mode, the user sets a power output, and the reactor attempts to maintain it. In control rod mode, the user can adjust the position of the control rods and see the results.
If things get out of hand, there’s a SCRAM button to shut the reactor down in a hurry. The Lego model uses an Arduino to move the rods up and down (using a servo) and controls the simulated Cherenkov radiation (courtesy of blue LEDs).
We’ve been excited to see more high schools with significant engineering programs. This would be a good project for kids interested in nuclear engineering. It certainly is a lot safer than one of our previous reactor projects.
Remind me of an opensource simulation game where a few nuclear reactors have been designed : http://powdertoy.co.uk/
Reminds me of the simulator hat Homer Simpson managed to melt down, in the episode where he went back to college for a degree.
https://youtu.be/2n23oapBEao
I totally approve of any article that has the terms “Arduino”, “Lego”, and “nuclear reactor” in the title.
Just ‘sayin…
“ISIS detonates arduino-controlled lego bomb at neuclear reactor, sending a cloud of radioactive dust towards (insert PWalsh’s home town here)”…
This is way better to bring to school than a home-made digital clock
But the dust was 3D printed and consisted of 555 dust.
Agreed :)
In b4 people shouting about lego’s plural.
Let’s call the plural Leego from now on just to get their panties in a bunch. Goose, Geese, Lego, Leego.
Legee?
Legii.
Ahh beat me to it!
I counter your “Goose/Geese” with “Moose/Moose”
As far as I remember, the actual Lego company prefers you say “Lego brick(s)” since “Lego” is the company name, and the product is a “brick”. Similar as saying “I want to use your HP”, compared with saying “I want to use your HP computer”…
That said, I call the bricks Lego.
(no, Meese isn’t the pural, lol)
I think Lego put out a press release asking people not to refer to sets of multiple bricks Legos. The plural and the singular is Lego in the same way that multiple loaves of bread aren’t called breads.
Here here, it’s Lego not legos. Although in the UK it’s maths not math. :-) not sure how I will cope.
And everyone should laugh at that press release. It’s a Danish company trying to control the English language, in the (recent) tradition of manipulating definitions and colloquial usage towards a goal (i.e. ensuring that ‘Lego’ doesn’t go the way of ‘Kleenex’ or ‘Band-Aid’)
A ‘Death Tax’ and ‘Estate Tax’ are the same thing, only one was created by Frank Luntz, famous republican propagandist. ‘Assault Weapon’ is a nonsense term conjured up by liberal anti-gun nuts who have no grounding in reality. You’re a moron if you use ‘Death Tax’ and ‘Assault Weapon’, as you are allowing your language to be controlled by monied interests. Likewise, you’re borderline retarded if you allow Lego to control how you pluralize plastic building blocks.
A Danish company trying to control the English language? It’s not an English word.
The way the word is used is. Germanic languages have lots of words in common, with just a few letters and / or pronunciation changed. For example- Friend, Freund, Vriend, Ven
Neither is “mojo”. But it didn’t stop you from using it or modifying it.
Fight the power!
If “Internationalization” can be abbreviated “i18n”, “before” should be abbreviated “b5”. Just sayin’. :-)
===Jac
Nice
Personally, I prefer the Malay/Indonesian way of pluralizing a noun: simply repeat it. For instance, one bird, many bird-bird; one hammer, a boxful of hammer-hammer, etc. So, 1 Lego brick, a crate of Lego brick-brick.
(c:
Or is it Lego-Lego? And now we are back where we started…
Lego-My-Eggo
Lego my eggo-eggo… (one is never enough)
For some reason am I am now thinking about what the “Radioactive Boy Scout” would do with this :)
%s/am//
I just found out that “The Nuclear Boyscout” has never been broadcast in the United States.
Did you click through the old-Hackaday-post link at the bottom of the article? You should!
Just thinking of that Revell Authentic kit Westinghouse Nuclear power plant for boys who need one on their train set. How do I attach a pic?
Just paste a link, it should convert.
I saw one of these on display at a local model train show. Pretty heady stuff! It had blinking lights and everything.
http://external-brain.redwolf.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tumblr_mt6gr8Oa751sxm4gzo4_1280.jpg
Nice! What’s the output?
A very nice model
Ughh.. I’m sick and tired of every imaginable electronics project containing an Arduino.. The 328p can’t be THAT ubiquitous, That and the Arduino IDE is just bulky and weird.. Just stick to C or assembly.
+1
oh wait, 934759384753948573 persons already use arduino, we’re too late.
Paper tape and ladder-logic relays are much more suitable.
Real hackers would run it on an abacus.
Reminds me of playing the computer game “3 Mile Island” when I was a kid. For some reason I just couldn’t ever avoid meltdown. I guess I should stick to playing with photons instead of neutrons.
Maybe glow in the dark rods and uv leds for a more authentic look?
Or maybe some of this…
http://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89&products_id=211
glow-in-the-dark stuff normally lights up good with white or blue light. And they have already blue LEDs for the “cherenkov radiation” :-)
NSA has deleted a post on Hackaday before?
IT’S A JOKE POINDEXTER
OOooo… what about using ZnS based GITD strips, with UV LEDs and infrared for quenching?