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Norway starts thorium reactor test

 
 
Reply Wed 19 Dec, 2012 06:28 am
http://singularityhub.com/2012/12/11/norway-begins-four-year-test-of-thorium-nuclear-reactor/

Nobody wanted to hear about thorium in the early years of nuclear energy because burning it doesn't produce plutonium and everybody wanted bombs, but it's by far the good solution to producing electricity...

Quote:
...The place where thorium is proven either way could be China. The country is serious about weaning itself off of fossil fuels and making nuclear power their primary energy source. Fourteen nuclear power reactors are in operation in China today, another 25 under construction, and there are plans to build more. And in 2011 they announced plans to build a thorium, molten salt reactor. So whether it be Norway, the UK, China, or some other forward-thinking countries, we’ll soon find out if thorium reactors are better than uranium ones, at which point more countries may want to join the thorium chain reaction....
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Type: Discussion • Score: 4 • Views: 3,710 • Replies: 8
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raprap
 
  1  
Reply Sat 29 Dec, 2012 09:22 pm
@gungasnake,
Thorium is a much stronger gamma source than uranium or plutonium. Gamma is much more penetrating than the alpha or beta emitting uranium and plutonium fuel elements and wastes, Storage of thorium fuel elements and contaminated wastes creates problematic shielding knuts.

Rap
gungasnake
 
  1  
Reply Sat 29 Dec, 2012 10:58 pm
@raprap,
Only problem is, you turkeys have some sort of an overwhelming reason for hating every energy source which ever comes down the road other than burning cow pies.
Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Reply Sun 30 Dec, 2012 01:47 am
@gungasnake,
Actually, Norway isn't starting a thorium reactor test.

But a privately held Norwegian company will start burning thorium fuel in a conventional test reactor. (Thor Energy is testing the thorium fuel in a conventional test reactor at Halden.)
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raprap
 
  2  
Reply Sun 30 Dec, 2012 02:56 am
@gungasnake,
GunjaSnaKKKE you never seem to stop demonstrating that your arrogance is only exceeded by your ignorance. I, for one am not one of those 'turkeys, you accuse me of being.

As an Engineer with degrees in Chemical and Nuclear Engineering its a little hard not to be a proponent of any exploitable energy source (including burning cow pies). What I am saying is that experience with thorium is that unlike uranium and plutonium thorium is a hot gamma source and gamma is penetrating radiation. Consequently, handling thorium requires lots of shielding. Lots of it.

That is the simple physics of the situation. That has nothing to do with cow pies.

Rap

Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Reply Sun 30 Dec, 2012 03:08 am
@raprap,
... and that's why they stopped it elsewhere (we had had one [ a really working reactor, not a test reactor] here, in my neighbourhood).
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roger
 
  1  
Reply Sun 30 Dec, 2012 03:34 am
We use thorium in lamp mantles, but they aren't hot enough to glow without the gas flame.
raprap
 
  1  
Reply Sun 30 Dec, 2012 03:43 am
@roger,
Ever put a counter on a Coleman lantern mantle?

Granted not much thorium there, but enough to get a significant count, and because it is gamma it is a good demonstration of the penetration of gamma rays.

BTW this is a great demonstration of gamma rays used in high school physics lessons.

Rap
roger
 
  1  
Reply Sun 30 Dec, 2012 04:36 am
@raprap,
Never did, as a matter of fact. Probably a good thing the weave is too coarse to use as a condom.
0 Replies
 
 

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