Nuclear Power -- An Engineering Perspective

In the past few years, the effect of power generation on global warming has become big news. Many formerly arcane terms such as fracking, fossil fuels, renewables, plug-in hybrids, and many others are now part of everyday conversation.

Meanwhile, the perennial monster-under-the-bed that everyone loves to hate, nuclear power, has also risen, phoenix like, as historic enemies have banded together against the common foe: the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, climate change, and global warming. Some avid environmentalists have even reconsidered their position on the risks of nuclear power and nuclear waste, seeing a viable carbon-free transition to the inevitable, but painstakingly slow, changeover to renewable energy.

There has been a tremendous amount of heated argument, most of it uninformed. Few understand the benefits and risks of nuclear power, certainly as compared to the alternatives. This presentation compares the detailed functioning of nuclear and fossil fuel powerplants, their benefits, and their risks. Everyone can rattle off the same list of nuclear accidents and waste disposal hysteria, but here they are dispassionately analyzed. Also, the perennial bugaboo of mass evacuations is investigated.

Speaker Bio:
Ed Gellender has worked on a wide variety of electronic - related programs including Radios, Radars, aircraft carrier landing systems, automatic train controls and even weather balloons. Recently, Ed was the cognizant engineer for the APX-122 IFF interrogator on the Navy’s new E-2D radar plane, notably flight testing anti-fratricide combat ID (“Mode 5”).

Ed has also worked on high power electrical distribution networks in New York City with Con Edison and the Triboro Bridge and Tunnel Authority.

Attention Professional Engineers: An application for .2 CEU credits (equivalent to 2 PDHs) has been applied for and is pending. There will be a $10 charge for these credits payable by check made out to "IEEE Consultants' Network of Long Island".

6:30 PM: Network with others over delicious food and soft drinks. We will be having deli heroes: American, Italian and Grilled Vegetable plus coleslaw, macaroni and potato salads. So, bring your appetite.

7:00 PM: Introductions, LICN announcements and presentation

Between our normal non-Meetup crowd and those on this Meetup list, we expect to have a good 40 or so people attending, so bring your business cards to share when networking.

More info about the LICN can be found at www.licn.org. Read our blog at licn.typepad.com.