4 ms·

Molten-salt reactors like LFTR's are extremely safe against catastrophic meltdown and are probably the best path forward, but we still need to actually put theo

by snuxoll 10y ago

Molten-salt reactors like LFTR's are extremely safe against catastrophic meltdown and are probably the best path forward, but we still need to actually put theory into practice with them. Gen IV traditional reactor designs are much improved over what was used in Fukushima as well, but with that said there has probably been fewer casualties from nuclear energy disasters than people that have contracted illnesses or died from our use of coal in particular.

cm2187 10y ago
Casualty count is one thing, but transforming entire regions into no man's land is not a small price to pay. Can Molten-salt reactors be used with uranium too or do we need to develop a Thorium based industry from scratch?
- snuxoll 10y ago
  Thorium is just one choice for a molten-salt reactor, U-235 is a feasible fuel source as well. Also, as far as the "no-mans land" comment, there's only been two incidents in our entire history of using Nuclear energy that did this: Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island. Both of which are horrible losses, but Fukushima is not anywhere near as disastrous. The region will be essentially uninhabitable for 30 years, but after that the half-life of the longest-lived element from the disaster will have decayed naturally. Not great, but considering the much longer impact global warming will have a 20Km radius of land being unusuable for 1/3 of a century doesn't seem so bad in comparison - of course, with modern reactor designs (Fukushima was built in '67!) this whole thing could have been avoided entirely even though it was in a Tsunami zone (although a MSR could have had negative consequences, there would have been no issue just pumping seawater in immediately to cool the reactor and stop the reaction - it would have contaminated the water and possible corroded the containment, all of your critical reactor would be dead stopped and the rest of the radioactive material sealed in a giant chunk of salt instead of blown/washed away ending up in the soil).
  - TheCoelacanth 10y ago
    What? Three-Mile Island transformed an entire region into no-mans land? I don't think that's accurate. I have relatives living just a few miles away.
  - sandGorgon 10y ago
    Are there any live MSR ? I was under the impression that this was a research phase reactor...and only China was ahead of anyone else (only India and China have substantial thorium reserves)
    - snuxoll 10y ago
      Not that I know of, hence why my first comment said "we need to put theory into practice". The concept and design is sound, but paranoia has been putting a huge damper on modern reactor R&D.
      - sandGorgon 10y ago
        I think I read that practical MSR are about 20 years away. China has invested about a billion dollars [1] for research in this area and is headed by none other than Jiang Mianheng, the son of China's former president Jiang Zemin [2] I dont these reactors are practical immediately. Which changes the whole argument IMHO. [1] https://www.technologyreview.com/s/542526/china-details-next-gen-nuclear-reactor-program/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/542526/china-details-next... [2] http://www.zdnet.com/article/son-of-chinas-ex-president-thorium-will-help-shape-countrys-energy-future/ http://www.zdnet.com/article/son-of-chinas-ex-president-thor...
  - johntb86 10y ago
    I'm sorry, but I have to question any information from someone who says that Three-Mile Island caused a no-mans-land worse than Fukushima.
acidburnNSA 10y ago
Agreed. I'll also add that I agree with the details on the whatisnuclear.com pages about the excitement of Molten Salt Reactors [1] (like LFTR) as well as the Internet Thorium Myths [2]. [1] https://whatisnuclear.com/reactors/msr.html https://whatisnuclear.com/reactors/msr.html [2] https://whatisnuclear.com/articles/thorium_myths.html https://whatisnuclear.com/articles/thorium_myths.html

by snuxoll 10y ago

cm2187 10y ago

Casualty count is one thing, but transforming entire regions into no man's land is not a small price to pay. Can Molten-salt reactors be used with uranium too or do we need to develop a Thorium based industry from scratch?

snuxoll 10y ago
Thorium is just one choice for a molten-salt reactor, U-235 is a feasible fuel source as well. Also, as far as the "no-mans land" comment, there's only been two incidents in our entire history of using Nuclear energy that did this: Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island. Both of which are horrible losses, but Fukushima is not anywhere near as disastrous. The region will be essentially uninhabitable for 30 years, but after that the half-life of the longest-lived element from the disaster will have decayed naturally. Not great, but considering the much longer impact global warming will have a 20Km radius of land being unusuable for 1/3 of a century doesn't seem so bad in comparison - of course, with modern reactor designs (Fukushima was built in '67!) this whole thing could have been avoided entirely even though it was in a Tsunami zone (although a MSR could have had negative consequences, there would have been no issue just pumping seawater in immediately to cool the reactor and stop the reaction - it would have contaminated the water and possible corroded the containment, all of your critical reactor would be dead stopped and the rest of the radioactive material sealed in a giant chunk of salt instead of blown/washed away ending up in the soil).
- TheCoelacanth 10y ago
  What? Three-Mile Island transformed an entire region into no-mans land? I don't think that's accurate. I have relatives living just a few miles away.
- sandGorgon 10y ago
  Are there any live MSR ? I was under the impression that this was a research phase reactor...and only China was ahead of anyone else (only India and China have substantial thorium reserves)
  - snuxoll 10y ago
    Not that I know of, hence why my first comment said "we need to put theory into practice". The concept and design is sound, but paranoia has been putting a huge damper on modern reactor R&D.
    - sandGorgon 10y ago
      I think I read that practical MSR are about 20 years away. China has invested about a billion dollars [1] for research in this area and is headed by none other than Jiang Mianheng, the son of China's former president Jiang Zemin [2] I dont these reactors are practical immediately. Which changes the whole argument IMHO. [1] https://www.technologyreview.com/s/542526/china-details-next-gen-nuclear-reactor-program/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/542526/china-details-next... [2] http://www.zdnet.com/article/son-of-chinas-ex-president-thorium-will-help-shape-countrys-energy-future/ http://www.zdnet.com/article/son-of-chinas-ex-president-thor...
- johntb86 10y ago
  I'm sorry, but I have to question any information from someone who says that Three-Mile Island caused a no-mans-land worse than Fukushima.

acidburnNSA 10y ago

Agreed. I'll also add that I agree with the details on the whatisnuclear.com pages about the excitement of Molten Salt Reactors [1] (like LFTR) as well as the Internet Thorium Myths [2]. [1] https://whatisnuclear.com/reactors/msr.html https://whatisnuclear.com/reactors/msr.html [2] https://whatisnuclear.com/articles/thorium_myths.html https://whatisnuclear.com/articles/thorium_myths.html