Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor – The Game is Afoot
July 9, 2013Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors. Say it fast, three times!
I have promised friends and listeners that the nuclear energy parade would, despite unimpressive performance in the first half, be back – with some new tricks, moves and even players. And here it is!
Nuclear power is again, the “safe! free! eternal energy source” – encore, une fois. So, I’m looking. I found this chunk of optimism selling a rain-making…er.. monorail… er… Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor – which apparently has no problems at all, and will power us to a Golden New Age of iPodness. Witness his sweaty glory:
That’s Kirk Sorensen, who looks like a nerdly Viking, and talks like a ‘rainmaker.’
But digging into the data, one finds that even the CIA factbook (wikipedia) has its niggling doubts – like, it’s a radioactive machine that produces radioactive waste, with little in the way of a working model, and a host of ‘challenging technical hurdles.’ (see “practically impossible” in dictionary). (And no, that’s not what that word means. It means pestering, persistent, lingering. And if Tupac can say it, so can I).
But, it also claims to be an improvement over other “breeder” reactors, which use a molten salt that can explode violently when mixed with air or water. Which is pretty sci-fi, I’ll grant you. Kind of, “Wow, that really got out of the lab?” And, yes, some of these have been built.
Here is a slightly more adult version of the sales job: Google Tech Talk Link. More adult, but not entirely honest. “Nuclear power has no CO2 footprint,” is the first lie. Not that I bother much with CO2, but building a nuke plant is like building a small city’s downtown. It do cost money, y’all. More importantly, it requires huge allotments of coal, oil, natural gas, concrete, steel, lead, other metals, and oh, right…radioactive material to be dug out of the ground by slaves in other countries who die horrible deaths. But, you know. It’s also ‘carbon free!’ say the cheerleaders.
Note, the Google Tech Talk above was given in 2008, and India has taken the baited hook. I mean, why built a thermal solar panel in a sun belt? Let’s be radioactive about it! [Breeding India] But around the world, most countries that have tried, have stopped their research programs. Or, “programmes,” as they say in London.
But Japan, always on the hunt for energy, built a ‘breeder’ reactor some time ago. Right on an earthquake zone. No, not that one! Yes, another one! Here’s a film about that.
So, we’re on our way to never having to worry about anything again. Oh, except… right. Back to the ‘limitations of the device.’ Let’s have a scratch. Here are a few of the problems, directly from the Government interns who write the Wikipedia:
- Mothballed technology. Only a few MSRs have actually been built; those experimental reactors having been constructed more than 40 years ago. This leads some technologists to say that it is difficult to critically assess the concept.
- Startup fuel. Unlike mined uranium, mined thorium does not have a fissile isotope. Thorium reactors breed fissile uranium-233 from thorium, but require a considerable amount of U-233 for the initial start up. Currently there is very little of this material available.
- Salts freezing.
- Loss of delayed neutrons.
- Waste management. There is also a need to manage the waste, which is still very radioactive, even though it is hazardous for a shorter period.Decommissioning costs are uncertain.
- Noble metal buildup.
- Limited graphite lifetime.
- Graphite causes positive reactivity feedback.
- The solubility for plutonium is limited.
- Potential proliferation risk from reprocessing.
- Proliferation risk from protactinium separation for some specific designs.
- Proliferation of Neptunium-237.
- Neutron poisoning and tritium production from lithium-6.Corrosion from tellurium.
- –4)
- Radiation damage to nickel alloys.
- Long term fuel salt storage issues. If the fluoride fuel salts are stored in solid form over many decades, radiation can cause the release of corrosive fluorine gas, and uranium hexafluoride.
- Business model
- Development of the power cycle.
- Developing a large helium or supercritical carbon dioxide turbine is needed for the highest efficiency designs.
So, not the kind of thing you can put in your yard and make electron salad. But, look. It’s newish. Kind of. And I’ll be fair, dig in and try to unpuzzle the game, which is clearly afoot. Watson.
And remember, we’re talking about this because? No, there is no such thing as “peak oil! We’ll never run out! We’ve got enough fracked shite to last 1,000,000 years! So fill ‘er up!! That’s why we’re mining for radioactive material! Because it’s…F-U-N!” Ah-ha! ha! ho. ha. hum. Ahem.
Liam Scheff is the author of “Official Stories,” because “official stories exist to protect officials.”
http://liamscheff.com/2013/07/liquid-fluoride-thorium-reactors-the-game-is-afoot/http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZsmezEOXDjU
Published on May 2, 2013
liquid fluoride thorium reactor are the latest big thing in nuclear power. If you have not been tracking the latest thorium hype, you might be interested to learn that the benefits liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTRs) have over light water uranium reactors (LWRs) are compelling replacement to the standard nuclear reactors.
Published on Oct 4, 2012
There has been an on-going debate in Japan on the best way to obtain a safe and affordable energy supply for the island nation. The nuclear option suffered a set back in March, 2011, when a massive earthquake and devastating tsunami caused a meltdown in reactors at Japan's main Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. But nuclear power boosters say expensive imported fossil fuels for conventional plants will hurt the nation's productivity. More from correspondent Steve Herman in Tsuruga, Japan where VOA was given an unprecedented look inside the country's only fast breeder reactor facility.
Cumulative blogposts on Thorium label: As of July 14, 2013
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/thorium-reactor-game-is-afoot-soniag.htmlThorium reactor, the game is afoot. SoniaG UPA, protect thorium reserves of India.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/enable-use-of-thorium-reserves-of-india.htmlEnable use of thorium reserves of India --BHAVINI Chairman. SoniaG UPA, protect nation's thorium reserves.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/thorium-test-begins-in-norway-soniag.htmlThorium test begins in Norway. SoniaG UPA, protect India's thorium reserves.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/this-thorium-reactor-has-power-of-norse.htmlThis Thorium Reactor has the power of a Norse God -- Andrew Tarantola. SoniaG UPA, protect India's thorium reserves.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/role-of-thorium-in-nuclear-energy-rk.htmlRole of thorium in nuclear energy (RK Sinha, 2013). SoniaG UPA, protect nation's thorium reserves.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/thorium-in-nuclear-reactor-world-looks.htmlThorium in nuclear reactor. World looks on as Norwegian company tests. SoniaG UPA, protect thorium reserves.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/thorium-power-canada-plans-for-10-mw.htmlThorium Power Canada plans for 10 MW, 25MW thorium fueled reactors in Chile and Indonesia. SoniaG UPA, protect the nation's thorium reserves.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/thorium-nuclear-reactor-trial-begins-in_1.htmlThorium nuclear reactor trial begins in Norway. SoniaG UPA, protect the nation's thorium reserves.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/indias-prototype-fast-breeder-reactor.htmlIndia's prototype Fast Breeder reactor at advanced stage of completion. SoniaG UPA, protect thorium reserves of the nation.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/06/thorium-touted-as-answer-to-our-energy.htmlThorium touted as the answer to our energy needs. Will SoniaG UPA protect India's thorium reserves?
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/06/now-india-can-look-to-thorium-as-future.htmlNow, India can look to thorium as future fuel -- Kumar Chellappan
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/06/3-billion-rare-earths-market-good.html$3 billion Rare earths market: The Good Reactor (Thorium), Irish documentary. Thorium Energy Alliance Conference.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/05/two-nuke-scams-thorium-loot-scam-indo.htmlTwo nuke scams: Thorium- loot scam, indo-us-nuke deal scam impact national security: SoniaG UPA's contributions
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/05/thorium-power-canada-inc-and-dbi.htmlThorium Power Canada Inc. and DBI Century Fuels Inc. offer thorium reactors. Shouldn't India use her thorium competence to reach out and supply thorium reactors world-wide?
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/05/thorium-reactors-could-soon-power.htmlThorium reactors could soon power Indonesia, Chile -- Mark Halper
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/05/nuke-scam-loot-of-atomic-mineral-wealth.htmlNuke scam: Loot of atomic mineral wealth and Indo-US nuke deal
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/05/nuclear-futures-thorium-could-be-silver.htmlNuclear futures: thorium could be the silver bullet to solve our energy crisis
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/05/ban-export-of-beach-sand-minerals-bjp.html Ban export of beach sand minerals: BJP MP Hansraj Ahir
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/05/great-thorium-robbery-ongoing.html Great thorium robbery, ongoing...
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/03/great-rare-earths-robbery-in-india.html Great Rare Earths' robbery in India. Fight by a citizens' forum
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/01/citizens-petition-for-action-against.html Citizens' petition for action against perpetrators of the Great Rare Earths' Robbery in India
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/01/china-moving-to-thorium-as-safe-nuclear.html China moving to thorium as safe nuclear fuel. GOI, protect and use India's thorium reserves for energy needs of Indian Ocean Community.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/01/china-blazes-trail-for-clean-nuclear.html China blazes trail for 'clean' nuclear power from thorium
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/12/dae-oct-2012-reply-on-thorium-loot-full.html DAE's Oct. 2012 reply on Thorium loot full of loopholes. DAE is yet to explain how Atomic Minerals list was changed without Parliament approval.
Is safe, green thorium power finally ready for prime time? -- John Hewitt
Thorium, China, Environment , Energy Takashi Kamei (Video 33:47)
Illegal notification of 18 Jan. 2006 on Atomic Minerals and loot of Rs. 96,120 Crores worth Atomic Minerals - Complaints
Govt. of India should act now to stop illegal mining of Atomic Minerals
India announces plan to build thorium reactor. Congrats to India's nuclear scientists.
Illegal mining of Atomic minerals worth Rs. 96,120 crores
Submit views/suggestions on Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill No. 110 of 2011
Cause and effect: a case study in and dossiers on Rare earths/Atomic Minerals of India
DAE, cancel and withdraw an illegal notification issued in January 2006.
Atomic minerals include thorium, uranium, monazite, zircon, ilmenite, rutile and leucoxene (Part B of First Schedule of the Act 1957)
PM should ban placer sands mining, nationalise minerals of national importance consistent with Shah Commission recommendations on manganese/iron ore mining
Our nuclear program will be thorium based - APJ Abdul Kalam
Protection of thorium & other rare earth minerals - Swamy refutes DAE claims
‘Our policy is to reprocess all the fuel put into a nuclear reactor’ -- Sekhar Basu
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/10/protection-of-thorium-reserves-in.html
Protection of thorium and rare earth reserves in the country
Cheap nuclear energy is an illusion -- Kumar Chellappan
DAE Press release : Export of Monazite from India. India backtracks on involving private miners in monazite - Ajoy K Das
Thorium loot: No private parties permitted to produce monazite, says DAE
Cheap,abundant & very safe nuclear power.....Thorium
Protection of thorium reserves in the country
Thorium loot spells strategic loss
Kerala Metals and Minerals Ltd causing radiation: PIL
Separation of monazite from placer sands and strategic needs of India's energy programme.
Nuclear Thorium: Country needs thorium-based fast breeders -- Dr. Kalam
Near monopoly position of a company in garnet placer sands
Estimated value of Manavalakurichi placer sands loot in a decade: Rs. 1 lakh crore
Placer sands exports detailed in a Criminal Petition in Hon’ble Supreme Court
Govt. misled Parliament on thorium loot. Thorium a game changer for India's power needs?
Export profiles of placer sands of Manavalakurichi complex
Rare earth complex of India -- containing thorium, the strategic nuclear fuel
India's nuclear energy through thorium. Powering the world.
Thorium could have powered India
Power of Thorium - two books reviewed. 'Super Fuel':Martin. ‘Thorium: energy cheaper than coal’: Robert Hargraves
Thorium UPA's new coalgate?
How far off is thorium energy? It is producing energy already -- in many reactors of India...
India all set to tap thorium resources
India-Canada Nuke pact. "Those days are gone. We're not so stupid," Dr. Chaitanyamoy Ganguly, Nuclear scientist.
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2012/09/thorium-to-transform-nuclear-power-pair.html Thorium to transform nuclear power. A pair of MIT students set up Transatomic Power
Cumulative list of blogposts with label "Thorium" (September 27, 2012). National imperative of protecting Rare earths including thorium.
Thorium -- a nuclear fuel and iPhone are born of Mother Earth. Govt. of India, conserve and protect rare earths including thorium.
Take steps to protect strategic monazite reserves: Subramanian Swamy to PM
Thorium and imperative of national security - Dr. Swamy's letter to PM
Thorium as strategic mineral: a greener alternative to uranium. India should protect her thorium reserves.
DAE makes strides towards thorium fuel supplies for AHWR
‘Thorium figures unconfirmed’ - IREL
VVER: Voda Voda Energo Reactor, Water-cooled, water-moderated energy reactor
Protect India's thorium to transform the world of energy
A future energy giant? India's thorium-based nuclear plans
India should enforce NSG guidelines for protection of thorium
Nuclear Energy’s Future: Thorium
Q&A: Thorium Reactor Designer Ratan Kumar Sinha
Thorium-fuelled dreams for India’s energy future. How India’s science is taking over the world.
Thorium poster (Source: Thorium Australia campaign)
Protect India's thorium. Briefings on nuclear technology in India -- PK Iyengar, Retd. Chairman, AEC, May 2009
New All-Party UK Parliamentary Group on Thorium
China Takes Lead in Race for Clean Nuclear Power -- using thorium.
The issue is India as nuke power. Anti-Kudankulam leaders manipulate innocents - Pioneer Edit
India Ventures Into Rare Earths, To Launch Soon Monazite Processing Plant
Thorium is nuclear fuel and should command immediate attention of GOI to conserve and protect the wealth of the nation.
Thorium key to India’s energy security -- Sandhya Jain
Thorium advocates launch pressure group in UK. India plans nuclear plant powered bythorium - Guardian, UK
Feature article: A Thorium Reactor (American Scientist, 2010)
Thorium As Nuclear Fuel
Thoriumgate. 34 blogposts. Seize the moment to strengthen India's nuclear doctrine and energy future.
Is Thorium the Biggest Energy Breakthrough Since Fire? Possibly.
Are beachfuls of thorium sand a curse? -- Rrishi Raote
Why should foreign companies & private parties work in monazite placer deposits?
Karisastha koil, Kundal, Uvari
Thorium for dummies. Thorium reactors - Dr. Y (Federation of American Scientists)
UPA's Thoriumgate? Toyota Tsusho enters the scene.
Monazite reserves of India 18 Million Tonnes (A review of seabed and placer mining deposits in India by Abhineet Kumar (May, 2011. Dept. of Mining Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 2011)
Thorium which can breed uranium 233 is the future energy source for India. Rare earth elements; Indian rare earths -- Its genesis and growth (TK Mukherjee, IREL)
Proof that coir was used to export thorium oxide in monazite. Now Toyota is inmonazite processing in India.
Wyoming nuclear task force hears thorium reactor plan
Indian rare earths: genesis and growth -- TK Mukherjee, IREL
Who looted India’s missing thorium? -- Sandeep Balakrishna
After coal, did India give away Thorium at pittance too?
Great thorium robbery impacting India's nuclear doctrine and energy security
67 Years Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Destruction
$15 billion hole in ground. Thorium for clean energy
Thorium Reserve in the Country - Narayanasamy informs Lok Sabha
Thorium-fuelled dreams for India's energy future. How India's science is taking over the world.
Nuclear materials, suppliers group (NSG) and safeguards
Depletion of thorium reserves from South Indian beaches, impacting India's nucleardoctrine and energy security: 14 blogposts
Black Monazite sand deposits found on beaches (India)
Thorium fuel cycle - potential benefits for India - IAEA publication (2005)
Thorium: alleged export of sands (August 2007 report)
Key reserve profiles of placer deposits: Chavara and Manavalakurichi (From Ph.D. thesis of Ajith G. Nair, 2001)
Valmiki's knowledge of oceanography and Mannar volcanic
Mining of monazite (GOI response in Lok Sabha on 30 Nov. 2011)
Indian Rare Earths Limited
VV Mineral: achievements
There’s nuclear gold in this sand. And it’s being sent out with impunity – Tehelka
Manavalakurichi
Scam of the century involving Rs. 1340 billion thorium reserves. Irregularities inbureaucratic processes which led to encouragement of illegal mining of thorium
10-point plan: Nationalise thorium resources of India and institute strategic command for protecting and conserving Nuclear Fuel complexes
Illegal thorium mining in India. Value of India’s thorium reserves: Rs. 1340 billion est.
‘PM must look into illegal thorium mining’
Uranium Is So Last Century — Enter Thorium, the New Green Nuke | Magazine