Posted on 09/01/2010 8:13:28 AM PDT by Wurlitzer
If Barack Obama were to marshal America’s vast scientific and strategic resources behind a new Manhattan Project, he might reasonably hope to reinvent the global energy landscape and sketch an end to our dependence on fossil fuels within three to five years
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
It has been a known method since the 50's and lost out to enriched Uranium reactors mainly because back then we did not have the materials to handle the 800 degree F temperatures over extended periods of time ( I am being kind as much of the opposition is based on ego and GE/Westinghouse have already based their designs on Uranium). Those temperatures are no longer a problem.
IF, and I restate IF, the waste is 1% of a Uranium based reactor (and can consume waste from those light water reactors) and if Thorium is in much greater supply than Uranium, and if the waste drops to background levels of radiation in 300 years rather than thousands, and if the reactors are intrinsically safe as their design would seem to be and tested in existing reactors, if after all these ifs why is this technology not in the forefront?
No weapons grade material can be generated by these reactors.
No huge containment structure is needed as in a light water reactor.
http://www.thoriumenergyalliance.com/ has some simple videos plus a wealth of links to other sources of information.
Thorium LFTRs have been included in some recent legislation however as it is over 2000 pages and our representatives admit they have not read it and the media sure as hell is not doing their job we have to rely on a UK based news source.
Let’s jump right to dilithium crystals.
Sounds like another FDR program to rebuild this country... didn’t we run that experiment 75 years ago?
That's why the invented greenhouse gases and global warming... so they could have a mechanism of artificially making energy prices "skyrocket" (to borrow King Barry's description) and force the peasants to live like 12th century serfs.
They will NEVER allow a practical "renewable" energy source to see the light of day.
That did not help the discussion at all.
No nothing like any FDR program. If it is valid technology with minimal enviornmental impact as is being touted then private industry should start replacing coal fired plants and or building new sites so we don’t have to conserve our way back to the stone age.
Why not? A 300 year half life is still potent.
Lots of advantages cited, but it's hard enough to restart the LWR industry, let alone license a plant based on new technology.
EPU that is what I am concerned with.
HOWEVER, if we can make enough noise maybe some of the 3 martini lunch crowd in the LSM might just pick up the story.
“...If Barack Obama were to marshal America’s vast scientific and strategic resources behind a new Manhattan Project,...”
Er, the Dung-Beetle-in-Chief wouldn’t understand the following words....America, scientific, strategic, and Manhatten Project...”
With only a 300 year storage requirement maybe all the billions spent on Yucca Mt. can actually go to good use. Especially since the level of waste is 1% of a similar LWR.
No need to scrap current LWRs but given the alleged intrinsically safe nature the approval process should not be anywhere near the level of a LWR. Maybe 2X of a coal plant.
There are current designs. There are a few current operating reactor so a complete blank sheet of paper is not needed but certainly engineering an upscaling would be required.
If you had ever seen a core breach you'd never say that.
Another plus, maybe we could start to reduce the number of lives lost in coal mines around the world.
Interesting, but has anyone actually built and operated a thorium reactor? I spent a little time looking but did not see a proof of concept device. I did find a description of the Aker Solutions concept here:
http://www.akersolutions.com/Internet/IndustriesAndServices/Nuclear+Services/NovelThoriumReactor.htm
“Er, the Dung-Beetle-in-Chief wouldn’t understand the following words....America, scientific, strategic, and Manhatten Project...””
LOL! True, true, true.
I believe India has a couple if not more...
“I believe India has a couple if not more...”
Thanks, I’ll do some searching.
The Th to U233 production is pretty much understood with little problems.
Gamma ray emissions from U233 seems to be the problem as it makes loading fuel assemblies dangerous.
U235/U238 are only alpha emitters and simple gloves are enough protection.
Yes, thanks for the tip. Although a little different in design India is looking to use Thorium based reactors.
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/17398.asp
“Gamma ray emissions from U233 seems to be the problem as it makes loading fuel assemblies dangerous.”
Zathras, I know the loading of fuel in an operating reactor was a question but a question that was answered in at least one of the test reactors. I’ll see if I can find the link to that exact subject. I was all over the net last night reading as much as I could and I know this was resolved or claimed to be.
They can turn on a light switch is all.
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