Transcript Slide 1
Liquid Fueled Thorium Reactors
without equations
∑x<+-=-*±
An overview of liquid-fueled liquid-cooled thermal
spectrum Thorium breeder reactors and why they
matter.
Rob Morse
Science Engineer- Nuclear Option
19 October 2009
1
Power makes a difference.
LFTR wo Equations. Thorium
power conference, Oct 2009
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The Necessities
Self regulating when it is ON
Passively safe when it is OFF
Inherently safe in case of an ACCIDENT
LFTR wo Equations. Thorium
power conference, Oct 2009
3
Fuel for a lifetime?
You consume a ball of coal
10 meters in diameter…
…or a ball or thorium 37mm in diameter.
LFTR wo Equations. Thorium
power conference, Oct 2009
4
Moderation and nuclear probabilities
Neutron Cross Sections
barns (10e-28 m-sq)
500
400
300
200
100
0
Fast U-233 fission
Fast Thorium absobtion Thermal U-233 fission
Thermal Thorium
absorbtion
>>Fast to Slow>>
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Speed?
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6
What does it mean if a reactor is
extremely temperature stable?
A power plant with a built in thermostat!
inlet
outlet
fuel-coolant
reactivity
temperature
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Improved reactor design
reactivity
temperature
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The Reactor at “idle”
Closed Loop Cooling
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An Efficient Design
Little or no radioactive waste
No bomb materials
Low cost per power delivered
A small physical size
A wide choice of building sites.
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power conference, Oct 2009
10
Size matters!
Your nuclear waste is the size of a few grains
of rice!
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Lets Make Power
The heat transfer fluid (molten salt) is at low pressure.
We can use a gas cycle, like a jet engine, at high temperature.
– This means they can have high efficiency, a 50% reduction in power
rejected to the environment per power delivered to the electric grid.
These plants can run at partial load.
LFTR wo Equations. Thorium
power conference, Oct 2009
12
THE WORLD IS FLAWED
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power conference, Oct 2009
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