Posted on 11/01/2013 1:47:34 PM PDT by Innovative
Nuclear scientists are being urged by the former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix to develop thorium as a new fuel.
Mr Blix says that the radioactive element may prove much safer in reactors than uranium.
His enthusiasm is shared by some in the British nuclear establishment. Scientists at the UKs National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) have been encouraged by the government to help research on an Indian thorium-based reactor, and on a test programme in Norway.
China is going for a revolutionary approach, devising a next-generation reactor which its supporters say will enable thorium to be used much more safely than uranium.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
This is Thorium, by the way that we are speaking of, not uranium, so in a sense it wouldn’t be a uranium plant, but there is no denying the use of uranium is necessary (U233 as I recall) to irradiate the thorium initially, but once fission begins (at a lower level)it should produce its own U233 which makes it self-sustaining, if I understand it correctly.
But the decay of thorium does not produce the nasty stuff (plutonium and those things) that uranium decay does.
This makes me grit my teeth.
What happens when all the oil is used up?
Thorium? For power?!? You probably haven't even invented transparent aluminum yet, have you?
Apparently you can make new oil from sunshine....at least according to the government’s Sandia Labs....................
I thought I heard somewhere that the half life of the most long-lived radioactive isotopes from thorium decay will reach background levels in 300 years, so that means 10 half lives if my memory serves me right.
That would give the longest lived waste isotope a 30 year half life...I think. Sigh, I don’t remember much of that stuff anymore.
The catch is, you have to get that sunshine out of Obama's A$$ first...
I have been reading about thorium reactors for a couple of years and it seems like the answer to nuclear fuel. Why only a couple of countries are pursuing this is a question that hasn’t been answered.
Less expensive, better supply, less storage problems.
Why we AREN’T doing it went back to the early 1950s. The old Atomic Energy Commission was experimenting with both Thorium and Uranium/Plutonium reactors, and when DOD found they could NOT make a nuclear weapon with Thorium chose the Uranium/Plutonium cycle as a “dual-use” technology. . .
I suppose from the standpoint of weapons grade, if you are going to use it (as we did) that does make sense.
The gravity field is unlimited energy..fuel...N. Tesla drove an electric car by this means and he had it down. He knew he would not live long though if he proceeded but there is a man who is almost ready with this generator which will revolutionize revolutionizes of the world.
I have not fully researched but just off the top of my head ...
” The technology itself is good.” > I don’t know of any succesful thorium reactors providing electricity to the grid. THTR-300 was shutdown and bankrupted the company.
“it is safer” > Theoretically but there is no track record except for failed projects.
“It is too bad the anti-nuclear zealots have infiltrated government and media at the highest levels.” > Utility feasibility studies with present rate structures will not support building these expensive plants. Much easier and less risk to build gas turbines.
I like my energy unmetered. (Like they promised me in the 1950’s)
"Nuke-lee-ear"
and
""Nuke-qu-leer"
contain teh word "Nuke". Bad optics.
You may want to read up on it.
And excellent, informative site explains it and also provides many scientific references:
https://sites.google.com/site/thoriumenergycheaperthancoal/
Article in 2010 American Scientist:
Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors
http://home.comcast.net/~robert.hargraves/public_html/2010-07Hargraves2-1.pdf
“The gravity field is unlimited energy..fuel...N. Tesla drove an electric car by this means and he had it down. He knew he would not live long though if he proceeded but there is a man who is almost ready with this generator which will revolutionize revolutionizes of the world.”
He also destroyed a big swatch of Siberia but our governments covered it up saying it was a meteorite.
Is this related to Balthorium G by chance? Paging Dr Strangelove....
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