The Thorium Dream

[Thunder_Gooch]

[Thunder_Gooch]

I doubt most will watch this but to sum it up quickly.

 

In the 50's and 60's we built prototype LFTR's (Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors) as part of the MSR (molten salt reactor) project.

 

We established that it is a viable technology.

 

Worldwide we have enough in proven reserves for 10,000+ years of thorium fuel (in the USA we have enough for 2000 years for our needs) This estimate includes projected increases and transportation.

 

You can literally mine dirt and get thorium it's extremely plentiful.

 

LFTR's generate 1000's of times less transuranic waste (the nasty stuff) than existing reactors and can actually use their waste as fuel. It burns almost 100% of it's fuel, whereas existing reactors burn 0.5-0.7%.

 

LFTR's cannot generate weapons grade material.

 

LFTR's cannot melt down under any circumstance.

 

LFTR is almost good as fusion.

 

The man who invented and held the patents for the type of reactor we use today Alvin Weinberg spent the rest of his career as head of Oakridge national labs campaigning for the use of LFTR technology, eventually he was told to shut up, and refused to do so. He was fired for his LFTR advocacy.

 

 

This isn't some free energy or pie in the sky technology, don't compare it with that. This is a real and proven technology.

[Stosh]

I dont know much about thorium ,

but agree there are all sorts of wonderful ideas which languish about

partly because you cant follow them all,partly due to lack of leadership.

and partly because 'true competion is an eroding situation for big business.

 

Hopefully at some point the less developed nations will notice

that they can bypass the tech that we are stubbornly sticking with.

 

Stosh