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Why sodium in particular? I've seen in the past that molten sodium is often proposed as a storage medium, but is there something about it that makes it suited f
by delecti 6y ago
Why sodium in particular? I've seen in the past that molten sodium is often proposed as a storage medium, but is there something about it that makes it suited for that use?
- m0zg 6y agoBecause it doesn't decompose into an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen under extreme temperatures, among other things.
- Hypx 6y agoInstead it just explodes when exposed to water or air...
- fuzzfactor 6y agoSodium decomposes the water itself and releases hydrogen which the sodium ignites as it burns in air. Liquid or pulverized metals are more risky than you think. Powdered nickel not only is a flammable solid, it spontaneously ignites too. But sodium is much more reactive, it can be rapdily oxidized by many more surprising things than oxygen or water. There's always this, kilos of molten sodium can lead to unexpected problems: https://www.csb.gov/t2-laboratories-inc-reactive-chemical-explosion/ https://www.csb.gov/t2-laboratories-inc-reactive-chemical-ex... There was a mushroom cloud but it was not nuclear.
- baybal2 6y agoWater is by far safer in comparison to stuff that corrodes, and eventually eats through pretty much anything. Piping for water can be for sure made to far outlive the plant; for sodium, you have no other option than putting in sacrificial material even if you use toughest nickel alloys, and there only is so much of it you can use.
- jabl 6y ago> Water is by far safer in comparison to stuff that corrodes, and eventually eats through pretty much anything. Problem with water is that for temperatures sufficient to run turbines at any decent efficiency, you need very high pressure, meaning expensive and bulky equipment. Hence it's not really usable as a heat storage medium. Hot water or steam is actually surprisingly corrosive, though we have a lot of experience how to handle it properly. > for sodium, you have no other option than putting in sacrificial material even if you use toughest nickel alloys, and there only is so much of it you can use. Sodium is actually very compatible with normal structural stainless steels. E.g. when the steam generators for EBR2 were dismantled after 30 years of operation the sodium side were as if brand new.
- throwaway5752 6y agoThis has some discussion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten_salt_reactor#Fused_salt_selection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten_salt_reactor#Fused_salt... I think one advantage is that it's relative cheap and light compared to other atmospheric pressure coolant (and that it can be both fuel and coolant).
- saagarjha 6y agoI think this is the link you want: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_metal_cooled_reactor#Sodium_and_NaK https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_metal_cooled_reactor#So...
- StreamBright 6y agoI think there are few considerations when choosing storage medium, few of them: distribution of source material on Earth, chemical and nuclear stability, water solubility, production challenges. We have learned a lot by producing traditional nuclear power plant fuel for decades.