Thorium - A Cheaper, Safer Sort of Nuclear Power

[ylexot]

A Cheaper, Safer Sort of Nuclear Power - Reason.com

Suppose—just suppose—that there were a tested energy technology out there that

• produces electricity cheaper than coal, because of lower capital and fuel costs,
• uses a fuel that is in almost inexhaustible supply, both in the U.S. and elsewhere,
• operates continuously, in baseload or peaking mode, for up to 30 years,
• operates at an efficient high temperature but at atmospheric pressure,
• can be factory-built and deployed in compact 100-megawatt modules close to the end use of the power,
• contributes nothing to air or water pollution and needs no water for operation,
• safely consumes long-lived transuranic waste products from current nuclear fission reactors,
• produces high-temperature process heat that can make hydrogen fuel for vehicles, and
• is walkaway safe.

Sure sounds interesting.

 

[Bonehead]

Cool idea

Unfortunately it will never happen in the US.

 

[SamSpade]

A Cheaper, Safer Sort of Nuclear Power - Reason.com

Sure sounds interesting.

Welcome aboard! I've been an advocate for the LFTR (liquid flouride thorium reactor) for a couple years now.

https://www.facebook.com/EnergyFromThorium

Thorium has at least a handful of great reasons to support it - and aside from NOT creating weapons grade waste or long lived waste - it can't "melt-down". It basically has to be heated up to run; unlike your typical nuclear reactor which must be controlled and restrained, this one needs to be "pushed".

But one of the best reasons is, thorium is found everywhere. You probably have some thorium on you right now. Well, maybe not. But it is quite common in the earth's crust.

 

[StadEMS3]

Interesting- to bad it won't happen in the good ole U.S.