Thorium

Thorium molten salt reactors are different from the standard uranium nuclear power plant. First off thorium is not a fissile material and cannot either start or sustain a reaction and therefor does not need enrichment. The thorium is fed into a molten salt mixture. This is mostly table salt heated to 1,300 degrees F. As the thorium is entered nothing happens until a small amount of uranium 233 is introduced at which time the nuclear reaction is activated and will continue as long as additional thorium is added. If the thorium feed is stopped then the reaction stops. The thorium is like a tank full of gasoline that just sits there until a lit match is added and the match in this case is U 233. If too much thorium is added the reaction heats up and the atoms spread apart and the reaction stops until the temperature is lowered. Thorium produces 1,000 times less waste and the bad waste which is only a small amount stays around for 500 years instead of 10,000 years as is the case with uranium. The reason for this is that uranium comes out of the ground in two types. The first called 238 is 99.3% and the other called 235 is only .7%. It is the 235 that is needed and it must be enriched (concentrated) to 4% and this is time consuming and costly. The problem is that the remaining 238 is bombarded by neutrons and changes into dangerous materials that must be stored for many years before disposal. Thorium reactors are small and can be produced on an assembly line bases and shipped on a semi truck to the use point. These units are 100 MW as compared to a typical uranium power plant with is 1,000 MW. If the location needs more power they just add additional units. These units are placed close to the use point and eliminates most of the power lines (grid) needed to transport power. This also removes the power lost during transport. The Twin Cities could be powered by one 1,000 MW plant at some distance from the city or 10 small reactors could be placed strategically around the city. Units could be shipped to desert areas to desalt sea water for agriculture since the unit needs no water to operate. It also runs at normal pressure and needs no protective dome. Instillation is fast and cheap. Thorium is three times more abundant than uranium and thus cleaner and less costly to mine and it does not have to be enriched.