Liquid Fluoride Reactors: A New Beginning for an Old Idea

Google Tech Talks
February 19, 2009

ABSTRACT

Slides for this talk are available at:
http://www.slideshare.net/guestcee6b0...

Speaker: David LeBlanc
David's Ph.d in physics was completed at University of Ottawa (1998) on high temperature superconductors. During this period, he developed a great interest to pursue both fission and fusion reactor design basics, which separately cumulated in a long term fellowship from the Canadian Fusion Fuels Technology Project (later ITER Canada) for his work on the use of high Tc superconductors in the fusion field and also work for Atomic Energy of Canada Limited on worldwide reactor design comparisons. Since then he has been teaching at the Carleton University physics department and continued his investigations primarily in the field of Molten Salt Reactors, also known as Liquid Fluoride Reactors. David founded Ottawa Valley Research Associates Ltd to expand these efforts and has completed a license agreement with a European firm with a goal of development of a new generation of Molten Salt Reactors.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[dfmz101]

I'm still amazed that Google distributes this level of free information. Tech Talks present the public with professional lectures at no cost. Featuring top notch industry experts speaking on topics that really make you think. Free lectures of the standard in the Tech series show that Google wants to learn from the best with all of us along for the ride. Thanks Google Tech!

[f2o9x8]

That is just not true. Dirty bomb is something that you scare children with. A chemical bomb is more efficient and far easier to make so why bother with a dirty bomb?

[daobagua]

May I suggest that we limit the workers to only use hand tools, this way the work will be slower per person and more jobs will be needed to get the required energy. :)

All facetiousness aside, it is generally better to get more end product for less work, so if the end product we want is energy, then we want to get the required energy with the fewest jobs. This way people can work on using the energy to create goods instead. Cheers.

[hwfanatic]

The idea of pure graphite pebbles as a moderator is exciting (because I've never heard of it before) but even more exciting is the graphite-free design concept. It seems to me that the simpler the design is, the more likely it is to see the light of day. Maybe we should start with a really simple graphite-free design that runs at lower temperatures to allow for stainless steel to be used - deliberately sacrifice some efficiency to get the design going and then perfect it later?

[wazza33racer]

bankster controlled countries ( US,EU and UK ) will never adopt this. Its up to the BRICS countries to get this moving. That Oak Ridge had their reseach canned, is the legacy of a short sighted AEC political agenda to promote WMD,stupidity and the pestilence of LWR's.

[a24396]

Why the hell aren't we doing this?!? Almost free energy and with little risk... I understand the weapons implications and why we chose to use uranium, but at this point we're worried about peak oil and global warming. This solves the problem! I recommend that all you American's out there sign a petition to encourage the US to spend money on this. Go to: petitions .whitehouse . gov/petition/focus-bulk-americ­an-regulatory-and-technical-pr­owess-developing-test-liquid-f­luoride-thorium-reactor/

[MichelleHill711]

Finally a use for Fluoride that is actually positive and not used to cause dental and skeletal fluorosis and thyroid damage.

[Norman Dumond]

Looking for more information about nuclear energy and Thorium? Check out the Facebook group "Lansing Nuclear"!