ThoriumRemix.com/ Breeder reactors are either Thermal-Spectrum or Fast-Spectrum. To fully harness our nuclear fuels, a breeder reactor can breed Plutonium (from Uranium) with fast-spectrum neutrons, or breed U-233 (from Thorium) with thermal-spectrum neutrons.
Thorium is important because it can be bred into nuclear fuel in both fast-spectrum AND thermal-spectrum. Natural Uranium can ONLY be bred into nuclear fuel in the fast-spectrum.
Thermal-spectrum reactors require neutrons hit moderating material which slows them down. Slowed down neutrons are more likely to hit other atoms, and so need less nuclear fuel in their path.
Thermal-spectrum reactors need less nuclear fuel to sustain fission. Thermal-spectrum reactors can only sustain fission in the carefully designed environment of the reactor core.
Some evaluations of Thorium as a choice in nuclear fuels have only considered fast-spectrum Thorium breeders against fast-spectrum Plutonium breeders.
What makes Thorium a unique fuel choice, is the ability to fully fission it in a THERMAL-SPECTRUM reactor. It is the comparison between today's thermal-spectrum Pressurized Water Reactors against thorium breeding Molten Salt Reactors where the Thorium advantage is found.
8 сен 2024
