4 ms·
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 tw
by 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 agoWhat? 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 agoAre 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 agoNot 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 agoI 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 agoI'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.