tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post6064683772433308623..comments2024-03-07T02:00:01.582-05:00Comments on NEI Nuclear Notes: Investigating Terrestrial Energy's Molten Salt Reactor DesignUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-26589877835047569572015-05-20T06:11:25.468-04:002015-05-20T06:11:25.468-04:00I seem to notice a tendency of molten-salt reactor...I seem to notice a tendency of molten-salt reactor fans to downplay the problem of long-term storage of nuclear waste. Sure, it's great if this produces "less" waste than other designs, but that's not very concrete. So: What kinds of waste come out of this reactor, how much, how long would it have to be stored under what conditions...?<br /><br />I would be very interested in "clean" nuclear power, but articles like this always give me the impression that the authors are holding something back.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-43225016500713473652015-05-11T14:22:35.221-04:002015-05-11T14:22:35.221-04:00"The plutonium produced in power reactors rap..."The plutonium produced in power reactors rapidly degrades to non-weapons-usable isotopic quality if not quickly removed from the reactor."<br /><br />It degrades to non-weapons-GRADE plutonium, which is defined as Pu with less than 90% Pu-239. But that's not the same as non-weapons-USABLE.<br /><br />The US Department of Energy (the people who make our nuclear weapons) and the National Academy of Sciences have both acknowledged that effective nuclear explosives can be made using so-called reactor grade plutonium.<br /><br />I'm not saying power reactor spent fuel is the biggest proliferation threat we face -- clearly it's not -- but you don't help your case by misstating the facts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-87267371270712572422015-05-09T13:27:02.804-04:002015-05-09T13:27:02.804-04:00@Dansolitz:
As it turns out, Terrestrial Energy is...@Dansolitz:<br />As it turns out, Terrestrial Energy is specifically keeping their U235 content in the low enriched uranium regime specifically to avoid that.KitemanSAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-42426032514842460562015-05-09T13:24:05.829-04:002015-05-09T13:24:05.829-04:00@Chris Bergan;
He actually means that they start w...@Chris Bergan;<br />He actually means that they start with UF4 which is dissolved into a eutectic of other molten fluoride salts.KitemanSAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-66846070132950350002015-05-09T01:18:16.314-04:002015-05-09T01:18:16.314-04:00@C Bergan: the U in the reactor is part of a fluor...@C Bergan: the U in the reactor is part of a fluoride salt, which melts at a much lower T than U metal.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05022292651155211865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-645751090221807382015-05-09T00:43:55.585-04:002015-05-09T00:43:55.585-04:00@ Chris, the liquid uranium they use is not in pur...@ Chris, the liquid uranium they use is not in pure metallic form, but is reacted with fluoride to form a salt (UF), which is then dissolved in another molten salt such as FLiBe (containing fluoride, lithium, and beryllium), which melts at around 459C (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLiBe).<br /><br />@ Dansolitz, the proliferation resistance of these reactors is excellent, since the uranium they use is low-enriched and after a short time in operation becomes much more radioactive than natural uranium, which complicates handling. <br /><br />The plutonium produced in power reactors rapidly degrades to non-weapons-usable isotopic quality if not quickly removed from the reactor. That requires that specialized equipment be part of the plant design, and is easily detected by inspectors years before the plant begins operation.<br />Nathan Wilsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-68477846064490920472015-05-08T14:47:02.639-04:002015-05-08T14:47:02.639-04:00The uranium isn't molten - it's dissolved ...The uranium isn't molten - it's dissolved in molten salt.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-56913423183300106452015-05-07T14:46:17.312-04:002015-05-07T14:46:17.312-04:00@Chris Bergan
If pure, you are correct. When mixe...@Chris Bergan<br /><br />If pure, you are correct. When mixed in salt form, the melting point is considerably dropped. I can't be certain but it could be explained with an Eutectoid Point (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutectic_system)<br /><br />As for the power plant life cycle, I believe the objective is to bring back old units for recycling and decontamination.Scotty does like the chocolathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10325324328492494312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-84703351706035402432015-05-07T14:19:28.920-04:002015-05-07T14:19:28.920-04:00@Chris Bergan -- The uranium will be dissolved in ...@Chris Bergan -- The uranium will be dissolved in a flouride salt eutectic, with a melting point about 460 °C. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLiBeBillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08749459207189576328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-24313069768820614452015-05-06T03:52:51.192-04:002015-05-06T03:52:51.192-04:00Pardon my nitpicking, but two details seem off to ...Pardon my nitpicking, but two details seem off to me. "Terrestrial Energy starts with uranium in liquid form,...." That doesn't sound right. <br /><br />Google tells me that Uranium melts at 1132°C and boils at 3818°C.<br />Thorium melts at 1755°C and boils at 5061°C.<br />Whereas Plutonium melts at only 639°C & boils at 3235°C.<br />I believe the IMSR will operate below 700°C, right?<br /><br />The other point is "...design is for a plant that shuts for refueling just once in seven years." From the link imbedded within the article I read; "At the end of its 7-year design life, the IMSR Core-unit is shut down and left to cool. At the same time, power is switched to a new IMSR Core-unit, installed a short time before in an adjacent silo within the facility." The IMSR plant is a dual-core - so that as one is powered down the second is powered up, allowing the plant to provide continuous energy for several decades. Conceivably the plant never shuts down. Old powered down core-units can be left in place to cool down until a new replacement core needs that slot 7 years later. Or have I misread TE's website?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13869791850147574252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-30568638912771896352015-05-05T16:30:59.681-04:002015-05-05T16:30:59.681-04:00Can some the homogenous fuel be removed or added f...Can some the homogenous fuel be removed or added from time to time and does this have proliferation potential?dansolitz@yahoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-46097118377287035422015-05-05T15:55:18.196-04:002015-05-05T15:55:18.196-04:00Terrestrial Energy's reactors are more suited ...Terrestrial Energy's reactors are more suited to act as a source of industrial heat than conventional reactors because of the more limited role of economies of scale and the higher temperature at which they are designed to operate.<br /> But the key comparative advantage of the Terrestrial Energy reactor is the lower capital cost because of the lesser need for defense in depth against accident. A Terrestrial Energy reactor can be designed to be cheaper and safer than any conventional reactor.Levishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16040995880404292617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-15301858454117487132015-05-05T14:49:47.692-04:002015-05-05T14:49:47.692-04:00Matt
Sounds good on paper. Congratulations on your...Matt<br />Sounds good on paper. Congratulations on your new position <br />Paul BlanchAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com