The Conservative Cave
Current Events => Politics => Topic started by: James Cessna on March 09, 2011, 07:20:03 AM
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China has officially announced it will launch a program to develop a thorium-fueled molten-salt nuclear reactor, taking a crucial step towards shifting to nuclear power as a primary energy source.
The project was unveiled at the annual Chinese Academy of Sciences conference in Shanghai last week, and reported in the Wen Hui Bao newspaper (Google English translation here).
If the reactor works as planned, China may fulfill a long-delayed dream of clean nuclear energy. The United States could conceivably become dependent on China for next-generation nuclear technology. At the least, the United States could fall dramatically behind in developing green energy.
While nearly all current nuclear reactors run on uranium, the radioactive element thorium is recognized as a safer, cleaner and more abundant alternative fuel. Thorium is particularly well-suited for use in molten-salt reactors, or MSRs. Nuclear reactions take place inside a fluid core rather than solid fuel rods, and there’s no risk of meltdown.
Wired.com © 2010 Condé Nast Digital (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/02/china-thorium-power/)
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Thorium = alpha emitter = nasty stuff.
Salt + high temps = bad ju-ju corrosion.
Trust me, they've been working on this, pebble bed, HGTR's, and all sorts of other stuff for the past 50 years. If any of them showed any more promise than the current systems, we'd have built them commercially by now.
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Thorium = alpha emitter = nasty stuff.
Salt + high temps = bad ju-ju corrosion.
Trust me, they've been working on this, pebble bed, HGTR's, and all sorts of other stuff for the past 50 years. If any of them showed any more promise than the current systems, we'd have built them commercially by now.
Never underestimate the power of a frequently majority-holding political party that owes its allegiance to a legion of shrieking enviro-fags.
IMHO Nimitz-Class reactors should have been installed in neighborhoods starting no later than 1981.
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Thorium = alpha emitter = nasty stuff.
Salt + high temps = bad ju-ju corrosion.
Trust me, they've been working on this, pebble bed, HGTR's, and all sorts of other stuff for the past 50 years. If any of them showed any more promise than the current systems, we'd have built them commercially by now.
I agree, Sparky.
You are probably correct.
It is interesting the Chinese are now pushing this technology. What do they know that we don't?
James
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It is interesting the Chinese are now pushing this technology. What do they know that we don't?
Mandarin?
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I agree, Sparky.
You are probably correct.
It is interesting the Chinese are now pushing this technology. What do they know that we don't?
James
That they can do this without an EPA mucking things up.
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I agree, Sparky.
You are probably correct.
It is interesting the Chinese are now pushing this technology. What do they know that we don't?
James
Technologically speaking? Jack shit. How many commercial reactors do they have there? (Answer: 4.) They're building a few more, but they're the Mitsubishi plants--which, BTW, we're also using for our new plants here at places like Vogtle and proposed for Turkey Point, South Texas Project, etc.
Their nuke boats are basically several generations behind ours as far as reactor safety, etc., go. They're relying more on Soviet technology (shudder) that has been shown to be nice, but not real cheap, and not real safe.
There's a reason they used to call the Alfa-class boats "The Golden Fish."
We need to build about 40-50 plants here, but frankly, as long as this (and other) administrations are so hot-cock for subsidizing wind, solar, and other damn near useless technology and not up to improving the infrastructure, we're screwed.
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(http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd507/OceanTraveler52/NuclearPower.jpg)
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I agree, Sparky.
You are probably correct.
It is interesting the Chinese are now pushing this technology. What do they know that we don't?
James
People are expendable?
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I would say that the developing debacle at Fukushima No. 1 has set back to zero any chance of the Oministration greenlighting any new nuclear plants in the US today.
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I would say that the developing debacle at Fukushima No. 1 has set back to zero any chance of the Oministration greenlighting any new nuclear plants in the US today.
There are answers to that. First, Fukushima-1 is a 40-year old plant. Second, it's a BWR, meaning no extra barrier between you and the 'trons--although BWR's have other advantages over PWR plants.
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There are answers to that. First, Fukushima-1 is a 40-year old plant. Second, it's a BWR, meaning no extra barrier between you and the 'trons--although BWR's have other advantages over PWR plants.
Sparky, I understand the technical differences, but you're failing to take into account that the anti-nuke lobby makes the Luddites look like 'Early adopters' by comparison, and the Oministration is comprised of machine politicians with all the courage and vision of Chamberlain or Daladier.
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I would say that the developing debacle at Fukushima No. 1 has set back to zero any chance of the Oministration greenlighting any new nuclear plants in the US today.
Hell if one oil spill caused us to shut down drilling I am guessing this incident in Japan will kill any prospects of nuclear power here in the USA.