Jake Endsley Dr.

Guenzel ENC 1102-0014 March 14, 2014

Analysis of Liquid Flouride Thorium Reactors !ha" #f $e $ere "o %o &ack "o 1'() $#"h "he kno$led%e $e ha*e no$ and re"h#nk our ener%y sources. June of 1'() "he Mol"en +al" ,eac"or E-.er#/en" reached cr#"#cal#"y for "he f#rs" "#/e. 0he M+,E ran for f#*e years o.en#n% ne$ a*enues #n "he nuclear ener%y $orld. 0here $as a cho#ce "o /ake #n 1')) $hen "he f#rs" nuclear su&/ar#ne "he Nau"#lus $as &u#l". 1d/#ral 2y/an ,#cko*er dec#ded "ha" "he f#rs" nuclear su&/ar#ne $ould &e .o$ered &y a sol#d enr#ched uran#u/ reac"or. 3ecause of "h#s dec#s#on o"her /e"hods l#ke /ol"en sal" reac"ors $ere .ayed less a""en"#on. 1" "he "#/e #" $as "he &es" f#" for su&/ar#nes. Mol"en sal" reac"ors are no$ &e#n% re*#s#"ed. 0hor#u/ #s "he &ase ele/en" for one of "he /os" .o.ular .ro.osed fuels. 0hor#u/ #s /ore a&undan" #n "he ear"h4s crus" "han uran#u/. 0he ad*an"a%es of "he "hor#u/5uran#u/ cycle *ersus "he uran#u/5.lu"on#u/ cycle ha*e /o&#l#zed "he sc#en"#f#c co//un#"y "o resurrec" "he #dea. 1l"hou%h "he /ol"en sal" reac"or has a lo" of .ra#se and ho.efulness "he "$o au"hors of "h#s .#ece do no"e "ha" "here #s no" a lo" of or%an#za"#onal su..or" for #" ye". 0he un#"ed s"a"es de.ar"/en" of ener%y has no" e*en cons#dered l#6u#d fluor#de "hor#u/ reac"ors for "he#r ne$ fla%sh#. .ro7ec", "he Ne-" Genera"#on Nuclear 8lan" .ro7ec" or NGN8. ,o&er" 2ar%ra*es #s an 1/er#can %eolo%#s" "ha" $orked as a .rofessor a" 8r#nce"on. ,al.h Mo#r #s a .ro.onen" of /ol"en sal" reac"ors and "hor#u/ &ased fuels $#"h /any 6ual#f#ca"#ons. 2e has a de%ree #n en%#neer#n% .hys#cs fro/ 9n#*ers#"y of Cal#forn#a, a de%ree #n nuclear en%#neer#n% fro/ M:0, and he .erfor/ed .os" %radua"e s"ud#es on fus#on. 0he .u&l#sher #s The American Scientist a /a%az#ne "ha" #s .o.ular #n "he research soc#e"y. 0he ar"#cle #s decen"ly recen" &e#n% .u&l#shed four years a%o #n 2010. 3u" #" #s #/.or"an" "o no"e "ha" a lo" of de*elo./en" can ha..en #n four years and "he s"a"e/en"s of $ha" #s

&e#n% done #n "he $orld a" "he /o/en" $#"h l#6u#d fluor#de "hor#u/ reac"ors /ay no" &e u. "o da"e. 0he aud#ence of "he re.or" #s "he sc#en"#f#c co//un#"y as $ell as #n*es"ors or u. and co/#n% en%#neers or sc#en"#s"s. 0he#r *oca&ulary and lan%ua%e su%%es" a %oal of educa"#on alon% $#"h a s"ron% su..or" for "he #dea. 0hey %o alon% s"a"#n% fac"s of h#s"ory fac"s of sc#ence and "he reason#n% &eh#nd "he/. 0hey e-.la#n conce."s and .resen" "he da"a &eh#nd "he/ $#"h hel.ful %ra.h#cs. 1nd of course "hey co/.are and e-.la#n $hy #" #s &e""er "han o"hers 0he "$o au"hors &e%#n &y %#*#n% "he h#s"ory &eh#nd "he d#sco*ery of /ol"en sal" reac"ors. 0hey e-.la#n "ha" #n 1'() M+,E e-.er#/en"ed $#"h "he #dea, &u" #" $as e*en"ually le" do$n &y "he dec#s#on of $ha" $as "o .o$er "he $orlds f#rs" nuclear su&/ar#ne. 0h#s su&/ar#ne $as na/ed "he Nau"#lus and #" /ade #" "o $here "here $as /ore research and "#/e %o#n% #n"o sol#d fuel reac"ors "ha" use "he uran#u/ "o .lu"on#u/ cycle. 0hey use "h#s .#ece of h#s"ory no" only "o %#*e you a %ood or#%#n s"ory &u" "o "ell "he reader $hy #f #" $as d#sco*ered so lon% a%o #s #" no" .ro/#nen" no$, and $hy $e should re*#s#" "he #dea. 0hey "hen e-.la#n "ha" /ol"en sal" reac"ors ha*e /any ad*an"a%es o*er sol#d fuel reac"ors l#ke "he sol#d enr#ched uran#u/ one #n "he Nau"#lus. 0hey %#*e da"a "ha" %oes "o$ard .ro*#n% su.er#or#"y #n so/e f#elds such as a&undance and $as"e .roduc"#on. +uch as "hor#u/ #s four "#/es /ore a&undan" "han #s uran#u/. 1f"er "he da"a #s .resen"ed "hey /o*e "o e-.la#n "he de"a#ls &eh#nd so/e of "h#s. ;or e-a/.le "hey say "ha" "he "hor#u/5uran#u/ sys"e/ has ad*an"a%es o*er "he uran#u/5.lu"on#u/ sys"e/. 0hey e-.la#n $hy $#"h a %ra.h#cal re.resen"a"#on of &o"h .rocesses and $hy nuclear $as"e #s .roduced. 0hey conclude $#"h "he "hou%h" &ecause #" "akes /ore s"e.s "o %o fro/ "hor#u/ "o .lu"on#u/ you .roduce less $as"e .roduc"s. 0hey assu/e "ha" "he reader has a l#""le kno$led%e a&ou" ho$ nuclear sys"e/s and reac"#ons $ork %o#n% #n"o "he .a.er. 0hey don4" %o &ack "o "he &as#cs and descr#&e $ha" conce."s such as al.ha decay or &e"a decay are, and ho$ "hey $ork. 0he "$o /ake a en*#ron/en"al case $#"h da"a on nuclear .o$er. Nuclear .o$er /akes u. se*en"y .ercen" of lo$ e/#ss#ons ener%y, &u" only "$en"y .ercen" of "he "o"al ener%y /arke". 0hey add "ha" e*ery se*en hundred f#f"y /e%a$a""s of nuclear .o$er #ns"alla"#on a*o#ds "he release of one /#ll#on /e"r#c "ons of car&on d#o-#de &e#n% released #n"o "he a#r.

0h#s s"a"e/en" #s ac"ually a ca."#on "o a .#c"ure of so/e "y.e of .o$er .lan" releas#n% clouds of s/oke #n"o "he a#r. :" #s a *ery s/all &#" of .a"hos "ha" a#/s a" .eo.le "ha" "h#nk $e should &e /ore careful $#"h "he en*#ron/en". 0he ne-" s"e. for "he/ $as "o educa"e "he readers a&ou" "he .rocess /os"ly used "oday *ersus a /ol"en sal" reac"or se"u.. 1ll of "he educa"#on "ha" "hey do #s so "hey can /ake conclus#ons and co/.ar#sons and ha*e "he reader kno$ $hy "hey sa#d $ha" "hey d#d. 3o"h au"hors are e-.er"s #n "he#r f#elds and ha*e "he kno$led%e and 6ual#f#ca"#ons for "he/ "o /ake cla#/s &ased on e*#dence of .rocesses. 0hey con"#nue "o use "h#s .a""ern of educa"#on "hen lead#n% "he reader "o lo%#cal conclus#ons $#"h "he kno$led%e "hey ha*e &ased on "he educa"#on "hey ha*e rece#*ed. 0hey /ake s"a"e/en"s a&ou" non.rol#fera"#on, cos", $as"e, and /os" #/.or"an" of all, .ros.ec"s. 0hey "alk a&ou" $ha" #s ha..en#n% no$, $ha" coun"r#es and co/.an#es are do#n% #n rela"#on "o /ol"en sal" reac"ors. +afe"y #s ano"her .#ece of "he .uzzle "ha" "hey /ade sure "o #nclude &ecause of #"s #/.or"ance es.ec#ally no$ $#"h .eo.le s"#ll ra*#n% a&ou" "he ;ukush#/a d#sas"er. 0hey e-.la#n "he fa#l safe sys"e/ "hey $ould use "o kee. a /ol"en sal" reac"or runn#n% #n su&cr#"#cal#"y. ;or "he fa#l safe sys"e/ #" #s #/.or"an" "o no"e "ha" .o$er #s no" re6u#red "o shu"do$n "he .lan" l#ke ho$ /os" nuclear .lan"s are run "oday. :n "he e*en" of a loss of .o$er "he .lan" $ould .roceed "o shu" #"self do$n s#/.ly &ecause of "he $ay "he .rocess $orks. 0he "one "he au"hors use #s /os"ly "echn#cal &u" "he au"hors do sho$ a s/all "#n%e of .ersonal #n*es"/en" #n "he success of "he "echnolo%y. 3ecause "hey "h#nk #" $#ll &e such an effec"#*e sys"e/ "hey $an" .eo.le "o su..or" "he use of #". 0h#s yearn#n% for su..or" does add a l#""le &#" of &#as #n "he d#rec"#on of "he "o.#c "hey are .resen"#n% on. <e" "he au"hors do a *ery %ood 7o& of kee.#n% "he .a.er fac"ual and sc#en"#f#c. 0hey sho$ "he#r &#as #n one key $ay "hou%h. 0hey don4" /en"#on any d#sad*an"a%es of "hor#u/. 0he .rocess #s no" as de*elo.ed as "he ones .u" #n .lace lon% a%o. +o/e .eo.le "h#nk #"4s &e""er "o kee. "he e%%s #n "he or#%#nal &aske" &ecause "hey ha*e already #n*es"ed "o /uch "#/e, research, and /oney #n"o #". 0he .o$er .roduc"#on of "hor#u/ /ay no" &e as h#%h as curren" sol#d fuel reac"ors, &u" /ore l#ke "he .roduc"#on of a coal .lan". 0hey sho$ "he#r &#as $hen "hey assu/e

for "he reader "ha" "he %ood ou"$e#%hs "he &ad. 0hey end $#"h a call "o ac"#on. 0hey /ake s"a"e/en"s concern#n% "he alar/#n%ly lo$ su..or" for /ol"en sal" reac"ors &ecause of "he s"a"e of "he econo/y. 0he "$o au"hors $an" .eo.le "he real#ze "ha" "here #s a .ro&le/ and "hey need su..or" "o sol*e #". 0hey "hen %#*e a l#nk "o an or%an#za"#on #n su..or" of ener%y fro/ "hor#u/, and ur%e sc#en"#s"s and en%#neers "o "ake a look and %e" #n"eres"ed. 0hey also ha*e a lon% l#s" of sources for "he#r da"a and educa"#onal sec"#ons a" "he end "o lend "he/ fur"her cred#&#l#"y. ,al.h Mo#r and ,o&er" 2ar%ra*es do a *ery %ood 7o& of kee.#n% "he .a.er en"#rely "echn#cal un"#l "he *ery end $hen "hey sho$ "he#r &#as "o$ards "he success of "he des#%n. 0he s"ruc"ure "hey used #s #nd#ca"#*e of &o"h of "he au"hors "each#n% &ack%rounds. 0hey use an o*er$hel/#n% a/oun" of lo%os #n "he#r /a#n ar%u/en"s and of course "he#r cred#&#l#"y #s "he#r e"hos. ,al.h Mo#r es.ec#ally has a *ery lon% l#s" of 6ual#f#ca"#ons on h#s $e&s#"e "ha" #ncludes school#n%, 7o& h#s"ory, and o"her .a.ers $r#""en &y h#/. 0hey fa#l "o address any do$ns#des "ha" /ol"en sal" reac"ors /ay ha*e and "h#s #s ano"her "h#n% "ha" #nd#ca"es &#as. 3u" "hey ne*er de*#a"e fro/ "he#r or#%#nal "hes#s s"a"e/en". 0he#r "hes#s #s "ha" /ol"en sal" reac"ors ha*e /any ad*an"a%es o*er o"hers and deser*e "o &e re*#s#"ed as a for/ of nuclear ener%y. 1ll #n all "he#r re.or" feels *ery co/.le"e and a %ood co/.rehens#*e .a.er on "he su&7ec". 0hey co*ered all "he &ases non.rol#fera"#on, $as"e, cos", safe"y, h#s"ory, $hy "hor#u/, and /ore. 1ll of "h#s $as done $#"h *ery l#""le &#as un"#l "he end $hen "hey ha*e a sor" of call "o ac"#on "o %e" .eo.le #n"eres"ed #n /ol"en sal" reac"ors. ,al.h Mo#r and ,o&er" 2ar%ra*es crea"ed a e*#dence and lo%#c &ased ar%u/en" "ha" #s *al#d and $ell su..or"ed. !orks C#"ed
Hargraves, Robert, and Ralph Moir. "Liquid Flouride Thoriu m Reactors." American Scientist n.d.: 304-13. American Scientist . Web