Sign in

diabolicalengineer.bsky.social

@diabolicalengineer.bsky.social
140 followers 247 following 723 posts

Engineer who only glows in the dark sometimes

PostsRepliesMedia
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This isn't a fuel pellet, but I am extremely fortunate to be the new custodian of this one. This is a sample of graphite from CP-1, the first nuclear pile to go critical. They are ordinarily quite painful to obtain, and I will treasure this as part of the nucleus (hehe) of my collection.
A block of graphite encased in lucite from the first nuclear reactor, CP-1
715225
Reposted by @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Further chronicles in fuel pellet paperweights, I picked this one up recently. CIPCO (the Central Iowa Power Cooperative) was part of the group that built Duane Arnold Energy Center. Decommissioned in 2020 after the Iowa derecho and currently working towards restarting power production.
2173
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Probably this early 20th century FT Pearce pencil (the Autopoints are a bit newer). I can't stand the narrow leads common on modern mechanical pencils (these use 1.1mm, .075in, and larger for the Pearce )and these are much nicer to look at
Two Autopoint pencils and one FT Pearce mechanical pencil
010
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Of all the nuclear ephemera I've tracked down over the last couple of years, I think this is one of my favorites. This is an intermediate spacer grid (or grid strap) produced by General Electric in the early 1960s.
A 6x6 BWR fuel assembly spacer
120
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Inconel. And I will encourage a schism between the followers of Inconel 600 and Inconel 690
230
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
I maintain that a made to order Drumstick is the ideal summer Sunday ice cream treat/dinner
010
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
WEC 2, 3, and 4 loop, B&W, Combustion Engineering
110
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Oyster loves sitting on chairs and his brother Morel loves sitting on rocking horses
060
Reposted by @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
I recently came across an even fancier fuel pellet item. This is one I've never seen before, but super interesting
5246
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Just for @nuclearanthro.bsky.social and @grantwtrent.bsky.social , the intersection of Florida and the old nuclear weapons program. Nothing says a fun family day like a visit to the neutron generator plant!
251
Reposted by @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social
ProPublica @propublica.org · 20/03/2026
NEW: To dramatically increase the amount of energy available to power artificial intelligence, the Trump administration is rewriting thousands of pages of nuclear power regulations while downplaying safety issues and focusing on industry incentives.
propublica.org
DOGE Goes Nuclear: How Trump Invited Silicon Valley Into America's Nuclear Power Regulator
In its rush to boost nuclear energy, the Trump administration is rapidly rewriting rules to ease regulations and provide financial breaks for industry. “The safety culture is under threat,” a former head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said.
51671376
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Bankroll my own fleet of ESBWRs (I like them and new plants are cool) Also, because I'd love to see the IVVI examiners pulling their hair out dealing with how deep the vessel internals would be
000
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Bert has arrived and is in his new permanent digs. ICS distress flag and 3d printed B&W RPV model included. Thank you @nuclearanthro.bsky.social for telling me these plushies exist.
081
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
May your life be as peaceful and unbothered as Oyster and Morel.
130
Reposted by @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
This is earlier, but the "fires of industry" thing was a vibe throughout advertising in the 30s. Although obviously it became much more explicit during the war
163
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Well, I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night, but absolutely devoured the Regicide Report from @cstross.bsky.social A wonderful conclusion to my favorite government science fiction and one I'll keep revisiting.
2232
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Pickle enjoying the heated blanket for the evening (but not pets, because she doesn't want pets today)
030
Reposted by @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social
Katy Huff @katyhuff.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Happy Friday, folks! I authored a piece that appeared in Scientific American this afternoon. Some folks will see the title of this piece and worry I have turned against nuclear energy. I assure you I have not. www.scientificamerican.com/article/weak...
scientificamerican.com
Loosening Radiation Rules Won’t Help Us Get Nuclear Power Any Faster
Relaxing radiation safety standards could place women and children at higher risks of health issues
252
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Well, this isn't a fuel pellet display, but an interesting thing nonetheless. Supposedly a small sample of graphite from the Obninsk test reactor (the first Soviet power reactor). Not great provenance, but sufficiently obscure that it's plausible (and passes some of the Soviet artifact sniff test)
110
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
For @nuclearanthro.bsky.social and others, these are promotional buttons from BNFs "Atoms for Energy" campaign. A relic from a different time in so many ways.
010
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
The kids are in bed and I am enjoying the rotating selection of cat cuddles
030
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Just for @nuclearanthro.bsky.social, Pickle baking biscuit in the heated blanket cave
020
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
More from the days of nuclear past. Once upon a time, a younger me randomly stopped at an antique mall in southwestern Michigan. I spotted this on a shelf. The price wasn't especially high, but was enough that I had to think about it. Little did I know that this would kickstart a new collection.
Cutaway nuclear fuel labeled by General Electric
161
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
A week late, but 6 days and 66 years ago, Dresden Generating Station Unit 1 went critical for the first time. Dresden 1 was the first privately financed nuclear power station in the United States (note all the qualifiers here) So when we say the first nuclear power plant, what do we mean? 🧵
A BWR/1 fuel spacer grid, a commemorative plate for the dedication of Dresden 1, and a pair of commemorative pens.A pair of pens commemorating the initial criticality of Dresden 1
262
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
In an effort to distract from, well, everything, I spent the afternoon combining two hobbies. I've been looking for a good way to hang this sign since I picked it up last year. So I finally got around to prototyping and printing some brackets. My calipers had a dead battery, so there were changes 😅
A no trespassing sign mounted to a shelfA poorly fitted 3d printed bracket on a shelf weA revised bracket design A rendering of two 3d printed brackets
130
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
In continuing tales of nuclear, something for @nuclearanna.bsky.social . Fuel pellet cards were a common promotional item for plants. This one is from the ANS, paired with probably the fanciest example I've ever seen (from Trojan). This continues today (the local utility gives them away at Pride)
A paperweight and postcard with simulated nuclear fuel pellets and a description of the energy content equivalent on fossil fuels
2212
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
Happy birthday to Oyster and Morel, the two giant gremlins who inhabit my house
140
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
For today's relics of nuclear past, coffee mugs! A fascinating sub genre of what people considered worth commemorating in the civilian fleet, we have the usual start of commercial operations or criticality, but also long outages, steam generator replacements, or extended power uprates. Always fun.
040
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
A new (to me) artifact of old nuclear. George Senn retired from GE in 1984 after heading their nuclear operations division. It's interesting to see what GE thought was worth commemorating back then, particularly since this was not easy or inexpensive to produce
160
diabolicalengineer.bsky.social @diabolicalengineer.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Taking some time to get away into the desert.
040