Posted 2011-02-05 22:20 (#545) Subject: Thorium Nuclear Power
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 319
See this link. Thorium is naturally occurring in the sea and thorium reactors can use by waste from traditional reactors and turn it into something that only has a half life of 60 years. Looks like a sensible way to go. Maybe we should follow the Chinese example.
Posted 2011-02-08 14:17 (#546 - in reply to #545) Subject: Re: Thorium Nuclear Power
Veteran
Posts: 275
I've heard conflicting reports about thorium - spoke to a chap doing research for Total, he reckoned thorium was the nuclear fuel of the future, and the only reason for using uranium for nuclear reactors was to produce weapons. He also thought there could be quite small thorium-fuelled nuclear reactors, similar size to the ones in submarines at present, to generate power much more locally. On the other hand, a friend involved in energy issues in Norway had looked into it and thought it pretty unlikely. There's a bit about it in David Mackay's book, and I didn't think he was all that enthusiastic, but maybe I should go and have another look.
Posted 2011-02-08 19:50 (#547 - in reply to #545) Subject: RE: Thorium Nuclear Power
Member
Posts: 12
Hmm. That's quite interesting. I've been doing some reading up on this tday (quiet day at work , and it looks quite promising. I came across this infographic which is useful for the non scientific - such as me
Thorium Nuclear Power
, and it looks quite promising. I came across this infographic which is useful for the non scientific - such as me