THORIUM AS A FUEL FOR NUCLEAR REACTOR

SUBMITTED BY-MOHD ASIF SIDDIQUE1305251022

INTRODUCTION

Thorium-based nuclear power is nuclear reactor-based electrical power generation fuelled primarily by the fission of the isotope uranium-233 produced from the fertile element thorium.

A nuclear reactor consumes certain specific fissile isotopes to produce energy. The three most practical types of nuclear reactor fuel are:

Uranium-235, purified (i.e. "enriched") by reducing the amount of uranium-238 in natural mined uranium. Most nuclear power has been generated using low-enriched uranium (LEU), whereas high-enriched uranium (HEU) is necessary for weapons.

Plutonium-239, transmuted from uranium-238 obtained from natural mined uranium. Plutonium is also used for weapons.

Uranium-233, transmuted from thorium-232, derived from natural mined thorium. That is this article's subject.

THORIUM FUEL CYCLE The thorium fuel cycle is a nuclear fuel cycle that uses

the isotope of thorium, 232Th, as the fertile material. In the reactor, 232Th is transmuted into

the fissile artificial uranium isotope 233U which is the nuclear fuel.

The thorium fuel cycle claims several potential advantages over a uranium fuel cycle-

thorium's greater abundance superior physical and nuclear properties better resistance to nuclear weapons plutonium and actinide production

NUCLEAR REACTION WITH THORIUM

In the thorium cycle, fuel is formed when 232Th captures a neutron (whether in a fast reactor or thermal reactor) to become 233Th. This normally emits an electron and an anti-neutrino (ν) by β− decay to become 233Pa. This then emits another electron and anti-neutrino by a second β− decay to become 233U.

ENERGY FROM THORIUM

WORLD ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS RAPIDLY ESCALATINGFUTURE ENERGY CONSUMPTION HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERESTIMATED

In 2007, the world consumed*:5.3 billion tonnes of coal (128 quads**)

31.1 billion barrels of oil (180 quads)

2.92 trillion m3 of natural gas (105 quads)

65 million kg of uranium ore (25 quads)

Contained 16,000 MT of thorium!

**1 quad = 1 quadrillion BTU = 172 million barrels (Mbbl) of crude oil

29 quads of hydroelectricity

Dominated by Hydrocarbons

Year US World2010 108 5102020 121 6132030 134 722

Total Energy Demand Projections (quads)***

In a global warming environment, where will the world turn for safe, abundant, low-cost energy?

THORIUM FUEL SUPPLY Thorium is abundant around the world and rich in energyEstimated world reserve

base of 1.4 million MT INDIA has about 20% of the

world reserve base

World Thorium Resources

CountryAustraliaIndiaUSANorwayCanadaSouth AfricaBrazilOther countriesWorld total

Reserve Base (tons)340,000300,000300,000180,000100,000

39,00018,000

100,0001,400,000

Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2008

ENERGY GENERATION COMPARISON

6 kg of fissile material in a liquid-fluoride reactor has the energy equivalent (66,000

MW*hr electrical*) of:

=

230 train cars (25,000 MT) of bituminous coal or,600 train cars (66,000 MT) of brown coal,

or, 440 million cubic feet of natural gas (15% of a 125,000 cubic meter LNG tanker),

or, 300 kg of enriched (3%) uranium in a pressurized water reactor.

*Each ounce of thorium can therefore produce $14,000-24,000 of electricity (at $0.04-0.07/kW*hr)

TYPES OF THORIUM-BASED REACTORSHEAVY WATER REACTORS (PHWRs)HIGH-TEMPERATURE GAS COOLED

REACTORS(VHTR)BOILING WATER REACTOR(BWR) PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR(PWRs)

LIQUID FLUORIDE THORIUM REACTOR

OTHER APPLICATION Industrial process heat for many uses, such

as ammonia production with the Haber process. Desalination of water Hydrogen production by water splitting Combined heat and power Nuclear marine propulsion

ADVANTAGES Inherent safety Stable coolant- Molten fluorides are chemically stable and

impervious to radiation Low pressure operation- Because the coolant salts remain

liquid at high temperatures, LFTR cores are designed to operate at low pressures

Leak Resistance. Due to the low pressure operation , the potential for large leaks is also greatly reduced

Easier to control

INDIAN SCENARIO

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