3 ms·
I've been thinking about the dumb idea of using solid uranium/thorium as the (closest) salt containment layer: you have a solid uranium (melting point 2000C) or
by AtlasBarfed 4y ago
I've been thinking about the dumb idea of using solid uranium/thorium as the (closest) salt containment layer: you have a solid uranium (melting point 2000C) or thorium layer (3000C) around the salt, which may not degrade it that quickly if the salts (which are a solution basically, if it's a liquid?) are more or less saturated. Or even if it isn't, how long would a layer of uranium or thorium last? I guess that's the big question.
You don't care if the thorium or uranium captures neutrons I would think. Thorium neutron capture is a good thing.
So depending on how long the solid "breeder" inner shell hold up, when you "recondition" the inner shell, I assume you can just dissolve it into salt, feed it into the normal fission products processing that the salt fuel use, and put in a new solid uranium/thorium salt shell.
Or maybe thorium could be alloyed for more endurance properties as the containment. Of course I have no idea about the various cracking / strength / fatigue properties of thorium as a metal.
I wonder if pellets/spheres could use thorium as a surrounding material.
So how nuts is all of that?
Maybe you could do a weekly monthly re-coat of the inner layer with more thorium or uranium to replace that which gets dissolved/degraded.
Edit: ORNL on thorium properties in a nuclear environment
https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4622065 https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/4622065
- panick21_ 4y agoI don't know enough to answer any of that. > weekly monthly re-coat Any operation inside the reactor is a bad idea.