LFTR in 10 Minutes - Thorium Remix 2009

[starmanskye]

From additional research, I gather the biggest problem with low-pressure salt reactors is the large technological difficulty of safely containing the liquid salt heat-exchange medium since it is so reactive in air and cannot be extinguished w/ water.

[lisajason111]

@starmanskye do you think it can replace uranium in the near future? could you be kind enough to send me some links for reading?. thanks

[nfwu]

Thorium pebble-bed reactor == the future.

[nareshov]

Already in use in India.

[gordonmcdowell]

@nareshov (I'm going to copy/paste a response from EnergyFromThorium as it is the fastest way to clarify.)

India only has major expertise with thorium fast-breeder reactors. This is very different from thorium thermal spectrum/thermal breeder reactors, especially molten salt types such as Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor.

This also means they use very awkward thorium fuel cycles based around thorium and uranium-plutonium solid fuels.

[TadmuckMorgan]

The problem with LTFR is that it requires U-233, which ever NNPT country is

sworn to destroy. So only NNPT hold outs like India can pursue it. Good for them for not signing.

[OfficeThug]

@TadmuckMorgan LFTRs can use uranium nuclear waste for startup as well, and nuclear weapon warheads can also be decomissioned to use the plutonium or weapons grade uranium for startup. All you need is a neutron source to breed your starting Thorium-233 into U-233, after which point the U-233 produced will keep breeding more thorium into U-233 and carry the chain reaction. At worst, you could use a particle accelerator to breed your fuel, but it'd cost more than the reactors themselves.

[edgemanAu]

Americans wont do it , the embedded interests & infrastructure prevents reaching for a new approach both fiscally and politically, The Chinese or Indians might give it a shot.

[nogek]

@edgemanAu IIRC China is already developing Thorium reactor technology

[SuperNewf1]

Thorium Reactors won't be used anytime soon. The Oil and Nuclear death traps are just want the elite want. How can they murder off great chunks of the population by using safe and efficient fuels? This doen't make sense to the genocidal maniacs that control our world.

[sistar2002]

wow - kann es sein, dass wir alle vom Militärisch Industriellen Komplex hinters Licht geführt werden? Wo bleibt der klassische Journalismus? Google Tech Talks - wirklich spannend, vielleicht sogar mehr als nur spannend...

[OptimusGonzoo]

"In conclusion, This gives us options for inherently safe, proliferation resistant, economic nuclear power that can last thousands if not millions of years. This really could be the silver bullet that enables us to power our industrial society. And this also offers real options for solving the long term issues surrounding our existing spent nuclear fuel and ultimately preventing the formation of new transuranic waste."

Great words from a great man.

[JoFergusons]

I've chosen to treat the Thorium issue as a "Tipping Point" in history on my new Blog (click my Username above), and would appreciate Comments from you if you're fascinated by the Science and Politics of Thorium, or any of the other factors that went into it's early demise...and possible re-emergence!

If you know of any other interesting, controversial, or speculative Tipping Points, feel free to submit them to Reddit: r/TippingPoints/

[xxytf94g]

Folks here's an opportunity to publicize LFTR:

Please search for citizentube then search for thorium and vote thumbs up on the first video that appears. Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor technology will bring cheap clean energy to the world. The technology is real but needs to be brought to President Obama's attention.

Thanks!

[chriscchrisc]

Brilliant intro!

click more on the description to see the URL for the UK epetition to start a Thorium reactor project (thanks Gordon!)

[hotfreshrider]

oh wow. thanks for the summary :o)

[Panpiper]

Magnificent distillation. Thank you ever so much.

[bill0w]

Let's get building these things, pronto.

[roidroid]

Great work simmering this down.