Recent Research of Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor from a Sustainability Viewpoint

Kamei, Takashi

doi:10.3390/su4102399

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…In sufficient quantities, Uranium can be recovered and utilized as nuclear fuel however, Thorium has been a problem as it is not currently utilized for power generation-although it has long been posited as both a useful nuclear fuel and as a way to get rid of such waste [52].…”

Section: Environmentalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability of Rare Earths—An Overview of the State of Knowledge

2013

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Rare Earths (RE) have been the focus of much attention in recent years as a consequence of a number of converging factors, prominent among which are: centralization of supply (in China), unique applications in high-end technologies particularly in the low-carbon energy industry, and global demand outstripping availability. Despite this focus, RE supply chain sustainability has not been examined in depth or in any systematic manner. This paper provides an initial review of RE sustainability considerations at present, including current initiatives to understand the research and development needs. The analysis highlights a broad range of areas needing consolidation with future research and calls for collaboration between industry and academia to understand the sustainability considerations of these critical elements in more depth.

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Section: Environmentalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability of Rare Earths—An Overview of the State of Knowledge

2013

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“…Air transport based on an alternative energy source is even more problematic. The only conceivable solution appears to be a molten salt reactor, but its development is likely decades away [8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Low-temperature and Low-pressure HydroThermal Liquefaction (L-HTL) of biomass using ultrasonic cavitation to achieve a local supercritical state in water

Liiv,

Mäeorg,

Vaino

et al. 2024

Sci. Tech. Energ. Transition

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HydroThermal Liquefaction (HTL) is a process that involves the reaction of polymer compounds such as cellulose, lignin, synthetic plastics, etc. with near-critical or supercritical water to form low molecular weight liquid compounds, similar to natural oil which is believed to have formed over millions of years. Compared to other biomass recovery methods such as pyrolysis or anaerobic digestion, HTL is highly efficient with an energy efficiency of up to 90%, while the others have an efficiency of only around 30%. However, traditional HTL requires extremely high temperatures (250–450 °C) and pressures (100–350 bar), which are challenging to achieve using large-scale industrial equipment. This study proposes the use of ultrasonic cavitation to induce a supercritical state in water locally, rather than throughout the entire reactor, making it possible to perform HTL reactions using inexpensive and simple devices. The study demonstrates the successful conversion of pure cellulose to low molecular weight liquid compounds using potassium hydroxide as a catalyst.

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“…Although much has been written [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] about the technical advantages of MSRs using thorium and other fuels, little has been achieved with regard to commercial application to replace present-day outdated nuclear technology. The reasons are many.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated molten-salt nuclear reactor systems for base-load power plants

Boothroyd¹

2017

Int. J. EQ

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Molten-salt reactors (MSRs) can provide inexpensive industrial process heating in addition to generating electricity. In most cases, this can be best accomplished by design simplification, which results in improvements to MSR's already existing and inherently strong safety characteristics. This is just one of a number of possible future scenarios that will influence the way in which MSR technology can develop and become marketable. The emphasis in this paper is to develop a reactor with application to the widest possible range of industries. This paper concentrates on the need to develop the inherent safety characteristics of the single fluid thermal reactor with the expectation that sufficient reliability and safety will be achieved in design so that these power generators will eventually be accepted for close integration into the fabric of modern society. It seems inevitable that the required licensing procedures needed for MSRs will vary considerably depending on their type because different designs vary so much. Those used for low-temperature process heat in addition to power generation require much less demanding regulatory procedures than those operating at higher temperatures. This is largely because long-term corrosion is more problematic at higher temperatures and present-day construction materials limit the development of MSRs from reaching their full potential. With appropriate experience with operating early designs of MSRs it is reasonable to expect that lower temperature versions will become certifiable for use in close proximity to a large range of human activities. Ultimately these reactors will be controllable remotely without the local attendance of technical staff.

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Recent Research of Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor from a Sustainability Viewpoint

Cited by 11 publications

References 9 publications

Sustainability of Rare Earths—An Overview of the State of Knowledge

Sustainability of Rare Earths—An Overview of the State of Knowledge

Low-temperature and Low-pressure HydroThermal Liquefaction (L-HTL) of biomass using ultrasonic cavitation to achieve a local supercritical state in water

Integrated molten-salt nuclear reactor systems for base-load power plants

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