ThorCon Molten Salt Reactor can be safer safe and scalable to 100 GW within a decade

[endicom]

Next Big Future
Brian Wang
July 4, 2018

ThorCon is a graphite-moderated thermal spectrum molten salt reactor that will produce 250 MWe power. It will be cheaper than coal energy. Coal is 5 cents per kilowatt hour and Thorcon will be 3 cents per kilowatt-hour. The basic concept is similar to the MSRE (Molten   Salt Reactor Experiment) in ORNL which was built and operated in the 1960s.

Thorcon is working with Indonesia and could have its first 1 GW commercial unit in 4-6 years.

More... https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2018/07/thorcon-molten-salt-reactor-can-be-safer-safe-and-scalable-to-100-gw-within-a-decade.html

[thackney]

...ThorCon requires no new technology. ThorCon is a straightforward scale-up of the successful Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). The MSRE is ThorCon’s pilot plant. There is no technical reason why a full-scale 250 MWe prototype cannot be operating within four years. The intention is to subject this prototype to all the failures and problems that the designers claim the plant can handle. This is the commercial aircraft model, not the Nuclear Regulatory Commission model. As soon as the prototype passes these tests, full-scale production can begin....

http://thorconpower.com/

...Everything in the nuclear island except the building itself is replaceable with little or no interruption in power output. Rather than attempt to build components that last 40 or more years in an extremely harsh environment with nil maintenance, ThorCon is designed to have all key parts regularly replaced. Every four years the entire primary loop is changed out, returned to a centralized recycling facility, decontaminated, disassembled, inspected, and refurbished....

[Bigun]

Nuclear power generation has made great technical strides over the past 30 years and there is no longer any reason at all to exclude it from our overall energy planning.

[endicom]

Nuclear power generation has made great technical strides over the past 30 years and there is no longer any reason at all to exclude it from our overall energy planning.

Technological strides and political running in place. We need a better class of legislator.

[endicom]

...ThorCon requires no new technology. ThorCon is a straightforward scale-up of the successful Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). The MSRE is ThorCon’s pilot plant. There is no technical reason why a full-scale 250 MWe prototype cannot be operating within four years. The intention is to subject this prototype to all the failures and problems that the designers claim the plant can handle. This is the commercial aircraft model, not the Nuclear Regulatory Commission model. As soon as the prototype passes these tests, full-scale production can begin....

http://thorconpower.com/

...Everything in the nuclear island except the building itself is replaceable with little or no interruption in power output. Rather than attempt to build components that last 40 or more years in an extremely harsh environment with nil maintenance, ThorCon is designed to have all key parts regularly replaced. Every four years the entire primary loop is changed out, returned to a centralized recycling facility, decontaminated, disassembled, inspected, and refurbished....

Let's hope it works as promised.

[Bigun]

Technological strides and political running in place. We need a better class of legislator.

For a host of reasons outside this one!

[thackney]

Let's hope it works as promised.

It has already worked.  It is not new technology.

ThorCon is a straightforward scale-up of the successful Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). The MSRE is ThorCon’s pilot plant.

[Oceander]

...ThorCon requires no new technology. ThorCon is a straightforward scale-up of the successful Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). The MSRE is ThorCon’s pilot plant. There is no technical reason why a full-scale 250 MWe prototype cannot be operating within four years. The intention is to subject this prototype to all the failures and problems that the designers claim the plant can handle. This is the commercial aircraft model, not the Nuclear Regulatory Commission model. As soon as the prototype passes these tests, full-scale production can begin....

http://thorconpower.com/

...Everything in the nuclear island except the building itself is replaceable with little or no interruption in power output. Rather than attempt to build components that last 40 or more years in an extremely harsh environment with nil maintenance, ThorCon is designed to have all key parts regularly replaced. Every four years the entire primary loop is changed out, returned to a centralized recycling facility, decontaminated, disassembled, inspected, and refurbished....

Unfortunately, that makes its safety completely dependent on the weakest link in the chain:  the humans who are supposed to do the maintenance.

[thackney]

Unfortunately, that makes its safety completely dependent on the weakest link in the chain:  the humans who are supposed to do the maintenance.

No, that makes the continued operation dependent on the maintenance.  The safety systems are passive that cannot even by stopped by human intervention.

http://thorconpower.com/design/fuelsalt-drain-tank

Directly below the Can is the Fuelsalt Drain Tank (FDT) shown in green in this view. In the bottom of the Can is a fuse valve shown in gray. The fuse valve is merely a low point in a drain line. At normal operating temperatures, the fuelsalt in the fuse valve is frozen, creating a plug. But if the Can overheats for any reason, the plug will thaw, and the fuel salt will drain to the FDT. Since the drain tank has no moderator, fission will stop almost immediately. This drain is totally passive. There is nothing an operator can do to prevent it.

[endicom]

It has already worked.  It is not new technology.

The Missouri in me wants to see the 3 cents per KWH.

I was conned by the hype about nuclear power back in the 1950s but I was then, you know, a child. Now I'm just childish, the wont of older men. And a tad cynical.

[thackney]

The Missouri in me wants to see the 3 cents per KWH.

I was conned by the hype about nuclear power back in the 1950s but I was then, you know, a child. Now I'm just childish, the wont of older men. And a tad cynical.

Absolutely agree.  That is why it should be private investment, not government subsidy from this point forward.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Technological strides and political running in place. We need a better class of legislator.

Or a businessman as Executive.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I seem to recall pebble bed reactors and thorium reactors being safe as well. I plead ignorance on the subject.

[Bigun]

I seem to recall pebble bed reactors and thorium reactors being safe as well. I plead ignorance on the subject.

There are many good, safe nuclear power options around. The problem is that they are not liked by K Street.

[Fishrrman]

"ThorCon is a graphite-moderated thermal spectrum molten salt reactor that will produce 250 MWe power. It will be cheaper than coal energy."

Remember this promise?
"Nuclear energy: so cheap you won't need a meter to measure it !"

Given the current climate for nuclear, I don't think we're going to see many (any?) of these "new" reactors a-buildin' anytime soon...

[Joe Wooten]

There are many good, safe nuclear power options around. The problem is that they are not liked by K Street.

There's no opportunity for graft in nuke power plants.........Too damn many watchdogs ready to sound the alarm at anything hinkey.

[Joe Wooten]

I seem to recall pebble bed reactors and thorium reactors being safe as well. I plead ignorance on the subject.

All the new reactor designs are inherently safe, even the AP1000, small modular, and ESBWR light water moderated reactors. There was a lot of attention on the pebble bed reactors about 12-13 years ago, but the problems in scaling up from a 13 MWth test reactor to a 450 MWth commercial reactor was too great. What was needed for this was more development funding to build one or two intermediate size reactors, say 50 to 100 MWth, and operate them for a few years to determine how to build a commercial size plant, or determine if it is feasible or not. The Chinese did try to build a bigger model, but I have not heard squat about it for 7-8 years. I bet it failed, otherwise we would have been seeing the Chinese peddling PB HTGR's by now.

[Bigun]

There's no opportunity for graft in nuke power plants.........Too damn many watchdogs ready to sound the alarm at anything hinkey.

That and the people who's pocketbooks would be injured largely!

[kidd]

...Everything in the nuclear island except the building itself is replaceable with little or no interruption in power output. Rather than attempt to build components that last 40 or more years in an extremely harsh environment with nil maintenance, ThorCon is designed to have all key parts regularly replaced. Every four years the entire primary loop is changed out, returned to a centralized recycling facility, decontaminated, disassembled, inspected, and refurbished....

This is the way to go. Molten salt reactors are a materials nightmare.
I have my doubts that used component transportation and decontamination can be done economically, but I hope it can.