China Invests Big in Clean and Cheap Energy from Thorium - explainer video
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2018
- This video gives a great overview on the progress of the Chinese Thorium Molten Salt Reactor program.
**Video made possible thanks to our Patrons/Members:
/ thoriumenergyworld
The TMSR takes safety to an entirely new level and can be made cheap and small since it operates at atmospheric pressure, one of its many advantages. Thanks to its flexible cooling options it can basically be used anywhere, be it a desert, a town or at sea. In China this is of special interest inland, where freshwater is scarce in large areas, providing a unique way to secure energy independence.
In 2011, the Chinese Academy of Sciences commenced the "Near future disruptive change in atomic energy - Thorium Molten Salt Reactor apparatus", a strategic science and technology pilot project with political power behind. As a result, TMSR research, the practical realization of thorium's high fuel efficiency and high temperature utility began in experiments. During the past 5 years, the development of key systems and technologies have made vital advancements such as the specialized development of the simulation and modeling system.
China has built the world's first industrial scale high temperature experimental fluoride salt loop as well as the world's largest passive natural circulation loop for molten salts. Large scale experimental facilities have been constructed to advance the closed thorium-uranium fuel cycle through reprocessing strategies. The minor actinides created can be used as fuel and the extra U-233 bred can be used to start new reactors, enabling China to finally reach the goal of a fully closed nuclear fuel cycle.
Since the start, the TMSR project has grown to a professional research team of over 400 researchers. Significant progress has been made in relevant fields of design and construction, advanced thorium molten salt reactor platforms have been constructed, and conditions necessary for experiments have been created. TMSR energy systems have obtained widespread and close attention from both research institutions within China and the growing international community.
As the world struggles with a record-breaking heatwave, China correctly places its trust in the fuel Thorium and the Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) as the backbone of its nation's plan to become a clean and cheap energy powerhouse. - Наука та технологія
All the stuff Kirk Sorensen said we should do nearly a decade ago based off research we did in the 50s!
actually they did, they had a system running already before. but because the military is more interested in the uranium, for the bombs. you get what i mean, so they never had the chance to put the molten salt reactor into production. It's politics and it's pathetic.
Admittedly, Thorium LFTR is probably better than convention nuclear. Both Chernobyl and Fukushima Dai'ichi reactors had serious design flaws: positive void coefficient at Chernobyl without adequate safety protection against operator error, emergency diesel generators placed in the basement at Fukushima Dai'ichi and therefore prone to flooding. With all the high gamma flux and high neutron density in Thorium LFTR, there will also sadly be lots of accidents and deaths arising from operating Thorium LFTR's.
Molten Salt Reactor are the solution for the energy problem, without all the disadvantages of the standard Uranium reactors
Don't buy the sales crap from the Thorium LFTR zealots. Thorium LFTR have lots of technical problems that will become apparent when companies try to build some prototypes. When the designs are only on paper, the Thorium zealots become very optimistic. There will be bad accidents arising as Thorium LFTR's are developed and deployed.
@@tommorris3688 So what part of the LFTR design do you think is the most critical for deadly accidents? How will radioactivity spread?
@@JensHallgren Various studies have shown that Thorium LFTR have a high risk of transient thermal excursions that are far worse than many molten salt reactor design experts anticipate. This class of reactor is less safe than being asserted in the video.
Let the Atom be a Worker, Not a Soldier
... but Soldiers are also made up of atoms !
I'm very glad they're doing this.
... better than conventional nuclear that has managed to create 250000 tonnes of high-level nuclear waste Worldwide after circa 50 years of civil nuclear power.
I’m glad someone’s seriously doing thorium. America needs to catch up.
catch up and kiss goobye to petroldollar?
The USA will make a mess of developing Thorium LFTR. The Chinese have rather more skilled engineers and stand a better chance of exploiting Thorium LFTR technology successfully.
Can you please convince the Australian government that this is the way forward?
In Australia, best to go for renewables, as Australia does not presently have lots of nukes. Thorium LFTR may be appropriate for those nations whose energy infrastructure is already based on nukes. Thorium LFTR is likely to be an improvement on existing Chernobyl- and Fukushima-Dai'ichi- style nukes.
Looks like TMSR is about ten years away from full commercialization and need a few billions to solve the remaining tech issues. I can see why no commercial entity would take on this risky task, but for China it’s a total different calculus, first they are importing hundreds of billion dollars worth of crude oil every year and desperately want to reduce that, secondly they need to find a strategic replacement energy source for fossil fuels. And TMSR fit perfectly with their goal, especially plentiful domestic thorium reserves. Wouldn’t be surprised if they succeeded building out a competitive nuclear power technology then exported to their allies in the future.
Your comment explains the past very well. However, the future could be a very different story. It needs quite a few billion to replace cars with electric vehicles. There are many remaining tech issues. No one could have thought it was possible just a few years ago. The Thorium reactor is another piece of the puzzle humans have to put together to save the Earth. Perhaps we should not underestimate the human resolve when the problem is about their homes.
Great news from China. Hope to see the first power plant to start operation soon.
It seems like the chinese have solved many of the key problems to make the TMSR a realisation. What are they still struggling with? What remains to be solved before we see the first reactor?
Late but i will try to explain.
It's impossible to control which element is created when breeding. So when going to breed thorium into Uranium 233 you also get some other elements like protactinium. These elements have to be removed during operation. And also treated as Nuclear waste.
Then the coatings of the reactor have to be able to withstand an hot acidic radioactive fluid during operation. Year in year out.
For a testreactor it doesn't matter if it produces faults in a few months. It's part of the learning curve. But it's hard to run a business with an unreliable reactor.
This doesn't mean it's unsafe. Oakridge was designed with an failsafe system.
Even if something goes wrong the radioactive salt will contained in a seperate vessel. That doesn't have a neutron emitter so the reaction will grind to an hold.
This problems are easier to solve then nuclear fusion. But still requires substantial R&D. Also with the anti nuclear climate in the west getting a permit to build one and the Thorium required is difficult. So there is substantial risk that you can't profit on your R&D investment even if the reactor would be commercially viable.
That creates a funding problem. Investing millions not knowing whether you ever get your money's worth is a bad story for investors.
Obviously this isn't a problem in India and China. That are funding it on state level. If India would succeed their own vast thorium reserves would make them self sufficient for the test of time. Definately worth a try.
That's because China has better engineers than the USA. The USA despises its engineers and scientists and reveres financial advisors, estate agents, bankers, equity investment specialists, and so forth.
All the stuff Kirk Sorensen said we should do nearly a decade ago based off research we did in the 50s! How about we start building updated designs instead of these tea kettles that explode?
Thorium LFTR: anything is likely to be better than the dreadful design of reactors at Chernobyl and Fukushima Dai'ichi.
Why isn't investors flocking to this energy source??
Well i guess no investor wants to be asociated with nuclear energy, or perhaps it is going to take some time before you will get your return of investment. this is a good investment for a national entity to make. What better national entity that China, loets of money to invest environmental problems to solve they need a lot of energy still, more complaints because of smog than nuclear related misery. (that you wont get if you play your thorium cards well)
The first working Thorium reactor was built in 1965 at Oak Ridge. The program was shuttered due to lobbying from the solid fuel interests. (Aka, the Nixon administration was paid a bribe and then did the bidding of its donors. If you're familiar with US politics, you already understand this is how it works here.) I think the only major *technical* issue they were having was how to deal with the corrosion from the salts over a long term.
Why the private sector wouldn't be interested is obvious, you're supposed to get the government to pay for research. In this case, deploy-able Thorium reactors would render most types of power plants obsolete. In essence you're asking "why don't the huge power companies invest a hundred billion dollars on making less money every year?" Thus, why they didn't leverage the public sector's money into this field either.
The solid fuel nuclear plants we have never made any sense outside of a submarine. The space shuttle program never made any sense period. We're more than just a few decades behind where we should have been on either front.
Relatively small returns for a 50 year period with a high risk of energy prices falling and the construction costs more in the west and is harder to invest in in the east.
Regulatory agencies are the barrier. If molten salt reactors are treated as if and regulated as if they are PWR or BWR then the economics are marginal or impossible.
Much of the regulation of PWR and BWR is aimed to prevent failures modes that simple don't happen with molten salt reactors. Further since the supply of nuclear fuels is tightly controlled, the regulation (and artificial high-cost) is pretty much world-wide. China's an obvious exception.
fear mongering mostly.
and politics
This guy sounds like someone from a real estate advertisement.
Yes ! These Thorium zealots get very excited about their designs on paper. It will be different when they actually start to build hardware and start encountering the real problems with their proposed technology.
i want two for my houses in pakistan.
...will keep you nice and warm when operating at +700 oC !
弯道超車
I don't know why so many people are bragging about this video. This video is nothing but a propaganda. Wake up!