Notes: Thorium Reactor

  1. Uses
    • desalinization
    • electricity
  2. Liquid Salt Thorium is much safer
    • passive safety with fluid fuel and low pressures
    • can drain to a passive cooling area in case of problem
  3. More flexible
    • high temp operation offer high conversion efficiency
    • air cooling offers sitting away from water bodies
  4. Less costly
    • low fuel preparation cost, no fabrication costs
    • excellent chemistry match with thoirum/uranium fuel cycle
    • salts are chemically stable and impervious to radiation damage; offering unlimited fuel burnup and continuous solvent recycling
    • U233 fissile fuel highly unsuitable for weapons diversion, readily downblended with depleted uranium in an emergency
  5. Challenges
    • salts aggressive to metals and other structural materials
    • high-temp operation presents design challenges
    • tech base largely stagnated for 40 yrs
    • very different from current water-cooled uranium-fueled reactors, not yet understood by regulators

Also, be sure to check out YouTube for longer videos which make these, and other, points.