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World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

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Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#11

Post by Rapzid »

msandford wrote: post #7
cstross wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that you can breed U-233 from thorium and use that in nuclear weapons. The critical mass of U-233 is about 50% higher than Pu-239 but otherwise it's usable in implosion-type bomb designs; the main hazard is the presence of U-232 as a contaminant (which is a high level gamma emitter and makes it dangerous to work with) -- the real question is how they plan to reduce the U-232 contamination level enough to make we…

If everyone in the world had enough energy to live a developed-world middle-class lifestyle -- and with thorium reactors this might be feasible -- might that not eliminate one of the driving forces behind global conflict? I'm not saying it's a slam-dunk win for sure. But I have noticed a lot of general apathy and aversion to violence in the developed world largely because people are just too busy living their lives;…

In certain parts of the world, maybe. In other parts differences in religion is the driving force behind conflict..

Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#12

Post by mdellabitta »

VLM wrote: post #6
stox wrote: post #3

Oak Ridge had a Thorium reactor in 1965. This is not the first.

The situation is actually even worse, here's a wikipedia link to a list of fifteen Th fueled reactors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_fuel_cycle#List_of_thor...

I just went past one on the train to work. They're everywhere!

Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#14

Post by beedogs »

Aardwolf wrote: post #9

Nice specs! Where does the Thorium come from and how abundant is it?

"Thorium is three times more abundant in nature than uranium. All but a trace of the world’s thorium exists as the useful isotope, which means it does not require enrichment. Thorium-based reactors are safer because the reaction can easily be stopped and because the operation does not have to take place under extreme pressures. Compared to uranium reactors, thorium reactors produce far less waste and the waste that is generated is much less radioactive and much shorter-lived."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/energysource/2012/02/16/the-thin...

Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#15

Post by orbifold »

Aardwolf wrote: post #9

Nice specs! Where does the Thorium come from and how abundant is it?

Roughly 3-4 times as abundant as Uranium, according to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/TE_1450_web.pd.... To give you an idea on how much energy could be produced with this: A rough estimate shows that if all our current electric energy demand would be satisfied with Uranium, the reserves would run out in roughly 10 years. See http://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/how-long-woul....

Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#16

Post by tormeh »

Rapzid wrote: post #11
msandford wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If everyone in the world had enough energy to live a developed-world middle-class lifestyle -- and with thorium reactors this might be feasible -- might that not eliminate one of the driving forces behind global conflict? I'm not saying it's a slam-dunk win for sure. But I have noticed a lot of general apathy and aversion to violence in the developed world largely because people are just too busy living their lives;…

In certain parts of the world, maybe. In other parts differences in religion is the driving force behind conflict..

It never really is. It's always about resources and power. Sure, there's often a holy book involved, but it's just a way to divide people into tribes, like nationality, color etc. It's always we want our (un)fair piece of the cake, where we is some group affiliation and it doesn't really matter what the affiliation is based on.

Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#17

Post by madaxe_again »

cstross wrote: post #5
msandford wrote: post #2

I'm really glad to see that the concept is starting to take off. It makes me sad that it's not happening in the US. If some folks in the government and business don't get their heads out of their asses a growth industry is going to bypass us entirely.

Note that you can breed U-233 from thorium and use that in nuclear weapons. The critical mass of U-233 is about 50% higher than Pu-239 but otherwise it's usable in implosion-type bomb designs; the main hazard is the presence of U-232 as a contaminant (which is a high level gamma emitter and makes it dangerous to work with) -- the real question is how they plan to reduce the U-232 contamination level enough to make we…

I don't understand the whole "it has to be capable of making bombs to be viable" thing.

I mean, the local coal power plant can't make artillery shells, but we're not shutting it down...

Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#18

Post by madaxe_again »

Rapzid wrote: post #11
msandford wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If everyone in the world had enough energy to live a developed-world middle-class lifestyle -- and with thorium reactors this might be feasible -- might that not eliminate one of the driving forces behind global conflict? I'm not saying it's a slam-dunk win for sure. But I have noticed a lot of general apathy and aversion to violence in the developed world largely because people are just too busy living their lives;…

In certain parts of the world, maybe. In other parts differences in religion is the driving force behind conflict..

Disagree. Religion is the vehicle. Inequality is the driver.

Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#19

Post by madaxe_again »

linohh wrote: post #13

I went to school next to THTR-300 which was built from 1971 on and is now defunct thanks to incompetence and huge failures in crisis management. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THTR-300

That, and incredibly unfortunate timing. I dare say that had the incident happened two weeks earlier, or several years later, there would have been no uproar - but for it to happen several days after Chernobyl, and for them to then try to cover it up... couldn't be worse.

Re: World’s First Thorium Reactor Designed

#20

Post by eloff »

orbifold wrote: post #15
Aardwolf wrote: post #9

Nice specs! Where does the Thorium come from and how abundant is it?

Roughly 3-4 times as abundant as Uranium, according to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/TE_1450_web.pd... . To give you an idea on how much energy could be produced with this: A rough estimate shows that if all our current electric energy demand would be satisfied with Uranium, the reserves would run out in roughly 10 years. See http://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/how-long-woul... .

This estimate doesn't seem to account for enrichment. For every KG of uranium mined, you get a much lower ratio of enriched fuel.
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