Will Thorium save us? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 10:25:07 pm
content: Haven't had time to check all this out, but there sure is a lot of renewed interest / development -www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2014/03/this-car-runs-for-100-years-without-refueling-the-thorium.htmlAlso check out the "Thorium problem" link at the end. Very interesting stats.Will Thorium save us? Maybe I'll grab a kilo or two, before the rush !! :-)

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 10:31:32 pm
content: Quote from: digsys on March 30, 2014, 10:25:07 pmI'd certainly like to see more work done on LFTR reactors.

author: ErikTheNorwegian
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 10:55:31 pm
content: Norway got one of the riches findings of thorium. But sadly not working on any technology to use it.

author: ecat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2014, 11:39:03 pm
content: I read it was the Norwegians who named thorium, it looks like Thor Energy is still researching along with UK and Indian interests amongst some others.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24638816

author: vtkkorhanjoh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2014, 12:02:53 am
content: I have a hard time getting over the abandonment of the Thorium LFTR and MSR reactors by the US government in the seventies, purely because of the lack of potential military use. They had working models already in the fifties, and would probably have replaced all their U235 -powered reactors by 1980, if it werent for the lack of Plutonium in the waste. It sadens me.Digsys, I'm sorry, but that car thing is bure bullshit. Cool idea, but it would give the driver, passengers and probably everyone in a 1 block radius cancer, it would be impossible to throttle or cause immense heating of the surrounding air. Imagine sitting 2 meters from the fuel rods in a conventional reactor with a few inches of steel, aluminium and air for shielding. Not even superman would dare something so stupid.It is kind of funny that it was named thorium, Esmarkium would make much more sense! (Morten Thrane Esmark was the discoverer of the element)Thorium definately has some potential in that it's way safer, more energy-efficcient, less harmful waste production and much lower cost. If there only were a non- experimental LFTR reactor (and not just MSR) built that would be of any real use!

author: Len
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2014, 12:03:38 am
content: The company web site linked from that article is very sketchy.Thorium and fusion have been racing to "save the world" for as long as I can remember, and so far neither one has got very far down the road.

author: vtkkorhanjoh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 12:57:29 am
content: The AVR reactor in Germany (in operation 1966-1988) has still not been decomissioned, because of massive levels of Cs137 and Sr90 contaminating the vessel. It took four years just to safely get the fuel pebbels out! It is currently the most contaminated structure in the world, and dismantling may happen in 60 years...We haven't perfected these things yet, and concidering we have no LFTR reactors netiher built nor in operation, the 30+ year mark sounds very reasonable.And, as mojo-chan pointed out, the research costs are immense, and the desire to research and market request for LFTR reactors are very low, so getting any serious research projects done in the near future is unlikely.But we can at least dream, and maybe, some day, we will live to see reactors of this kind in operation! Maybe.

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 02:04:48 am
content: Quote from: vtkkorhanjohSo no point saving up for my nooclear car ? Bummer

author: vtkkorhanjoh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2014, 10:28:37 pm
content: Unless you desperately want to get cancer and drive at 20 km/h tops, yes. Fuel cells and graphene supercaps are however very promising!

author: BennyBoy
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2014, 01:35:21 am
content: No shortage of Thorium. Only way it will save the planet, is if China makes it work cheaply, or at least a lot cheaper than current traditional Nuclear power.The biggest problem with Thorium is, there's no bomb grade by products, therefore there's no funding from the War powers.You need to understand that Nuclear Power was never about power, but was developed for the production of bomb grade fuel.It was sold to the public as cheap, clean and Modern energy.Quote from: digsys on March 30, 2014, 10:25:07 pm

author: vtkkorhanjoh
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2014, 06:44:32 am
content: No wonder the yanks cut all funding for the thorium reactor projects in the 1970s, and went for the classical fast breeder high temperature uranium reactors instead... Much more U235 and Pu239 in the waste.