Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTR)

Ernesto Chavez

Uranium based nuclear energy is used

to produce ~20% of electricity in the

US

[1]

In the 1950’s scientist’s debated the

uranium and thorium based systems.

• Uranium light water reactors were easiest way to power a submarine

• Uranium nuclear waste can be used to make bombs

• Thorium is not easily weaponized and technology research was not continued.

Uranium vs. Thorium

[2]

Thorium is relatively abundant on the

earth’s crust

[3]

Uranium pressurized water reactors

account for a majority of the worlds nuclear

power plants

[4]

Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor

[5]

Other LFTR Advantages

• Less biologically harmful radioactive waste

• Radio active waste is toxic for only ~300 years

• Relatively cheap design

Issues converting to LFTRs

• Business model - not compelling to drastically change infrastructure and investments

• Converting the plant would be extremely expensive and still continue to produce waste (less amount)

• Corrosive salts damage system and will be costly to maintain

Development• China is currently investing in LFTR development

project and on pace to build a facility by 2020

• Europe abandoned development because of pressure from France’s uranium based nuclear power industry

Questions?

What are some of the major impacts LFTR could bring?• Oil, coal, rare metal industry• CO2 emissions• Gas prices• Car technology/economy• Chemical Industry• Economy• Space Exploration

Sources• http://nucleargreen.blogspot.com/2011/01/china-starts-lftr-developmen

t-project.html

• http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nuclear-power-entrepreneurs-push-thorium-as-a-fuel/2011/12/15/gIQALTinPR_story.html

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYxlpeJEKmw

• http://theweek.com/article/index/213611/could-thorium-make-nuclear-power-safe

• http://www.dauvergne.com/technology/thorium-vs-uranium/

• http://theweek.com/article/index/213611/could-thorium-make-nuclear-power-safe

Image Sources• [1]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/2008_US_electricity_generation_by_source_v2.png/753px-2008_US_electricity_generation_by_source_v2.png

• [2] http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&biw=1124&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=VkfH8pQUXp9aPM:&imgrefurl=http://realdoctorstu.com/2011/03/24/the-future-of-nuclear-power-after-fukushima-thorium-reactors/&docid=8Ff80ARdjVmEgM&imgurl=http://realdoctorstu.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/thorium-waste-comparison.jpg&w=978&h=656&ei=K3dfUOW5DOXEyQGVlYHgCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=655&vpy=171&dur=343&hovh=182&hovw=272&tx=98&ty=72&sig=114015928954841325863&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=203&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:80

• [3] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/NAMrad_Th_let.gif/796px-NAMrad_Th_let.gif

• [4] http://www.world-nuclear.org/images/info/pwr.gif• [5] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/

Molten_Salt_Reactor.svg/2000px-Molten_Salt_Reactor.svg.png