The article popped up a login-wall but I was able to bypass it with a quick refresh and switch to Reader Mode. It's a short article:
Chinese scientists have achieved a milestone in clean energy technology by successfully adding fresh fuel to an operational thorium molten salt reactor, according to state media reports.
...
The development was announced by the project’s chief scientist, Xu Hongjie, during a closed-door meeting at the Chinese Academy of Sciences on April 8, the official Guangming Daily reported on Friday.
The experimental reactor, located in the Gobi Desert in China’s west, uses molten salt as the fuel carrier and coolant, and thorium – a radioactive element abundant in the Earth’s crust – as the fuel source. The reactor is reportedly designed to sustainably generate 2 megawatts of thermal power.
...
A reactor with a thermal power output of 2 megawatts is a long way from a commercial power reactor. A modern Chinese power reactor has a thermal output of over 3000 megawatts (over 1000 megawatts electrical output):
I searched on Google and got an answer from Quora[1] . I wonder if anyones else on HN can shine some light.
>Alvin Weinberg estimated that build and operating costs would both be about 80% cheaper than existing water-moderated nuclear power technology (which he also invented in addition to the MSR)
Solar and Wind has become so cheap and building so fast. Even myself as an Nuclear supporter ( I said pro nuclear I mean I am not against Nuclear ) I often wonder is it worth it? Britain is expected to "double" its Wind Power by 2030. As things continue to accelerate Wind and Solar may take 50% of energy production in next 10 years.
10 years is a very short time in the world of Nuclear. I know we need base load but I am starting to question if Nuclear makes any sense given the relative speed of development both are moving at.
7 comments
[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 26.7 ms ] threadChinese scientists have achieved a milestone in clean energy technology by successfully adding fresh fuel to an operational thorium molten salt reactor, according to state media reports.
...
The development was announced by the project’s chief scientist, Xu Hongjie, during a closed-door meeting at the Chinese Academy of Sciences on April 8, the official Guangming Daily reported on Friday.
The experimental reactor, located in the Gobi Desert in China’s west, uses molten salt as the fuel carrier and coolant, and thorium – a radioactive element abundant in the Earth’s crust – as the fuel source. The reactor is reportedly designed to sustainably generate 2 megawatts of thermal power. ...
A reactor with a thermal power output of 2 megawatts is a long way from a commercial power reactor. A modern Chinese power reactor has a thermal output of over 3000 megawatts (over 1000 megawatts electrical output):
https://pris.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/ReactorDetails....
2 megawatts is actually smaller than the original molten salt reactor experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which had a 7.4 MWth output:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten-Salt_Reactor_Experiment
Still, it's good to see another country reviving experiments with this technology.
>Alvin Weinberg estimated that build and operating costs would both be about 80% cheaper than existing water-moderated nuclear power technology (which he also invented in addition to the MSR)
Solar and Wind has become so cheap and building so fast. Even myself as an Nuclear supporter ( I said pro nuclear I mean I am not against Nuclear ) I often wonder is it worth it? Britain is expected to "double" its Wind Power by 2030. As things continue to accelerate Wind and Solar may take 50% of energy production in next 10 years.
10 years is a very short time in the world of Nuclear. I know we need base load but I am starting to question if Nuclear makes any sense given the relative speed of development both are moving at.
[1] https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-estimated-cost-of-building...
just like in the desert, one can use solar. But what about the night? what aboit cleaning the panels?? so, there, nuclear would make sense.
With Thorium, it seems, its less a problem as with Uran. Urine in Uran is the death of Iran.
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43720535
[2] https://archive.is/2nQSh