Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkArts
I figured that's where you were going with this, which is why I responded........
|
Suggesting thorium salt reactors will increase nuclear proliferation is a stretch to say the least. Here's Wiki's take.
"a thorium reactor's plutonium production rate would be less than 2 percent of that of a standard reactor, and the plutonium's isotopic content would make it unsuitable for a nuclear detonation."
As for the other points you raise, regarding safey/cost, given a sample of one, at this point they are rather moot. No one really knows what the cost will be, but the Physics of salt reactors is such that
it is impossible to have nuclear meltdown or hydrogen explosion (i.e. Fukushima). They operate at or close to atmospheric pressure rather than the 75–150x that of a typical light water reactor.
The Wuwei prototype can provide energy for around 1,000 homes. The cost was reportedly $500 million. Not bad for a prototype. Peanuts really, as the NBN has cost Australia about $60 Billion to date. (and I'm still on fibre to the node!)
One would expect an order of magnitude improvement with commercial production. It is however the world's first nuclear molten-salt reactor and its 100 MW successor is expected to be 3 meters tall and 2.5 meters wide, yet capable of providing energy to 100,000 homes (hardly "small").
I'd rather see a regional town's energy provided by a small soccer-field sized facility than endless rows of wind turbines, and square kilometres of PV panels blighting the landscape.
Interestingly ANSTO worked with the Chinese to develop the nickel alloy that was pivotal for the Wuwei facility. Saying "never" around here may prove foolish
