3 ms·

Anyone with insight on this I read years ago: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a11907/is-the-superfuel-thorium-riskier-than-we-thought-14821644/ h

Anyone with insight on this I read years ago: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a11907/is-the-superfuel-thorium-riskier-than-we-thought-14821644/ http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a11907/is-the... I worry that that if Thorium reactors become very very common because they are thought to be very safe (e.g. behind your house common, as some have bragged), but they turn out to be dangerous...we will have a real problem.

hexane360 9y ago
I'm not sure if this is a real possibility given our current understanding of nuclear physics and reactor design. We have enough knowledge to fully understand how a reactor like this would function. Past incidents have been caused by design flaws that were known at the time. It's not a matter of lack of knowledge so much as a lack of good management and regulations.
- SubiculumCode 9y ago
  To be clear the worry was not about a meltdown, but that Thorium can be used to create Plutonium 233, per the article I cited.
  - acidburnNSA 9y ago
    Right. A Thorium-232 atom that absorbs a neutron becomes Protactinium-233 which decays to Uranium-233, a fissile nuclide like U-235 and Plutonium-239. This is how the controlled chain reactor works but like any fissile material it also has potential weapons uses. Thus, Thorium reactors require safeguards and monitoring just like any other peaceful nuclear reactor.
jopsen 9y ago
I think it's unlikely that we'll want to have people playing with radio active waste in their backyard.. We have decent electricity grids, if reactors become financially viable, first goal will be to power the grid. I don't see any profit margin in decentralizing the grid.
- ZoF 9y ago
  Yep it's a completely unrealistic concern
- SoMisanthrope 9y ago
  Gen IV reactors are more cost effective than solar or wind. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_IV_reactor https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_IV_reactor Passive cooling has already been applied successfully to the US nuclear sub fleet. While most reactors cannot operate at-power, they can be cooled without aid, while sub-critical. Maybe someday that tech will trickle down to the civilian world?

hexane360 9y ago

I'm not sure if this is a real possibility given our current understanding of nuclear physics and reactor design. We have enough knowledge to fully understand how a reactor like this would function. Past incidents have been caused by design flaws that were known at the time. It's not a matter of lack of knowledge so much as a lack of good management and regulations.

SubiculumCode 9y ago
To be clear the worry was not about a meltdown, but that Thorium can be used to create Plutonium 233, per the article I cited.
- acidburnNSA 9y ago
  Right. A Thorium-232 atom that absorbs a neutron becomes Protactinium-233 which decays to Uranium-233, a fissile nuclide like U-235 and Plutonium-239. This is how the controlled chain reactor works but like any fissile material it also has potential weapons uses. Thus, Thorium reactors require safeguards and monitoring just like any other peaceful nuclear reactor.

jopsen 9y ago

I think it's unlikely that we'll want to have people playing with radio active waste in their backyard.. We have decent electricity grids, if reactors become financially viable, first goal will be to power the grid. I don't see any profit margin in decentralizing the grid.

ZoF 9y ago
Yep it's a completely unrealistic concern
SoMisanthrope 9y ago
Gen IV reactors are more cost effective than solar or wind. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_IV_reactor https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_IV_reactor Passive cooling has already been applied successfully to the US nuclear sub fleet. While most reactors cannot operate at-power, they can be cooled without aid, while sub-critical. Maybe someday that tech will trickle down to the civilian world?