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The first reactors were actually heavy water for producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. Light water reactors were developed next because they could still pro
by jackpirate 15y ago
The first reactors were actually heavy water for producing plutonium for nuclear weapons. Light water reactors were developed next because they could still produce plutonium, were cheaper, and could be put on a submarine. But their usefulness on subs was secondary. The USSR built Pb moderated reactors for some Alfa class subs that didn't require anyone working in the engine room. For lots of reasons, this is obviously superior as a submarine reactor tech. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_class_submarine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_class_submarine)
The real reason we never went to Thorium is the best reason to go to Thorium. It creates U233, which is not usable for nuclear weapons. (Or at least, no nuclear weapon has ever been built with it.) This would have made it great for exporting to countries without worrying about proliferation. That's the reason we're seeing it become discussed so much more often now.
- uvdiv 15y agoThe first reactors were not heavy-water, but graphite moderated (and light-water cooled). Nazi Germany intended to build heavy-water reactors, but they did not succeed. Pb (actually Pb-Bi eutectic) isn't a moderator, just a coolant. Alfa-class submarines' reactors were fast reactors (no moderator).
- jackpirate 15y agoI don't know anything about the German bomb program, except that it was pretty unsuccessful. (To be fair, they had people bombing their scientists the whole war.) The heavy water reactors I referred to were from the Manhattan Project. (They did have graphite moderated too, but they weren't as successful I understand.) You're right that Pb is only the coolant. I got typing too fast.
- uvdiv 15y agoI believe you've confused something. Almost all plutonium from the Manhattan project (e.g. 'Fat Man') was from graphite-moderated, light-water cooled reactors at Hanford site in Washington, starting with the 'B reactor'. Plutonium: The First 50 Years (chapter 9) http://www.doeal.gov/SWEIS/DOEDocuments/004%20DOE-DP-0137%20Plutonium%2050%20Years.pdf http://www.doeal.gov/SWEIS/DOEDocuments/004%20DOE-DP-0137%20... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_Reactor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_Reactor The US did not build a heavy-water plutonium production reactor before those at the Savannah River Site (South Carolina), which did not start until 1953. These are all the plutonium production reactors the US has built (ref. DoE): 9 graphite-moderated light-water cooled reactors at Hanford, and 5 heavy-water moderated/heavy-water cooled reactors at Savannah River. In the Manhattan project, there were also tiny amounts of plutonium sourced from the X-10 reactor at Oak Ridge (also graphite-moderated): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-10_Graphite_Reactor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-10_Graphite_Reactor Separately, there was highly-enriched uranium produced at Oak Ridge (Tennessee), which was used in 'Little Boy'. And, CP-3 was a research heavy-water reactor (Chicago), built in 1944, which was not used for breeding plutonium. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pile_3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pile_3 Hope this clears things up...