Energy From Thorium Foundation
Energy From Thorium Foundation
The Energy From Thorium Foundation Mission
To educate and promote the adoption of Nuclear
energy based on the use of Thorium in molten
salt reactors, as a means to usher in an era of
Sustainable Abundance TM
Specifically, we advocate the development of
the (2 fluid) Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor
(LFTR)
We believe this is the “best” long term design
Lots for the public to like about LFTRs.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
GDP
per
capita
$50,000
$45,000
$40,000
$35,000
$30,000
$25,000
$20,000
$15,000
$10,000
$5,000
$0
Prosperity depends on energy.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2042rank.html
Nations with populations
over 10 million.
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
Annual kWh per capita
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Energy Crisis(s)
Energy shortages are not unique to our time.
Wood was the 2nd energy source. (1 st food)
Wood also used for construction
Centers of metal smelting became the most
deforested areas of the Roman Empire.
Rome had to import most of their timber from all
over Europe.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Energy Crisis(s)
Shortages happen and get “resolved”.
These resolutions often
spark the development of
superior sources of energy
or superior technology.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
World Energy Consumption The Future:
5.3 billion
tonnes of coal
(128 quads)
31.1 billion
barrels of oil
(180 quads)
2.92 trillion m 3
of natural gas
(105 quads)
65,000 tonnes
of uranium ore
(24 quads)
Energy from Thorium
6600 tonnes of thorium
(500 quads)
Energy Density of Fission Fuel is
more than 1 Million times
greater than any fossil fuel !!!
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Thorium-232
(100% of all Th)
Uranium-235
(0.7% of all U)
Uranium-238
(99.3% of all U)
Three Basic Nuclear Fuel Options
Uranium-233
Plutonium-239
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Thorium is more Abundant
Natural Thorium
100% thorium-232
Natural Uranium
99.3% uranium-238
0.7% uranium-235
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Thorium-233 decays
quickly to
protactinium-233
Natural thorium
absorbs a neutron
from fission and
becomes Th-233
Thorium-233
Protactinium-233
Thorium-232
Uranium-233
Protactinium-233 decays
slowly over a month to
uranium-233, an ideal fuel
Uranium-233 fissions,
releasing energy and
neutrons to continue the
process
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Nuclear Fuel Options
Neutron
Spectrum
Fuel
Thermal
Spectrum
(< 1eV)
Fast
Spectrum
(>100 keV)
Uranium-233 /
Thorium-232
Feasible: U-233
fission produces
enough neutrons
per thermal
absorption to
sustain conversion
of thorium-232
Feasible but less
desirable: fast
fission requires 10x
more fissile
material per unit
power than thermal
fission
Uranium-235 Plutonium-239 /
Uranium-238
Feasible: U-235 is
naturally fissile but
rare
Feasible but less
desirable: U-235
fast fission requires
10x more fissile
material per unit
power than thermal
fission
Not feasible: Pu-
239 fission does
not produce
enough neutrons
per thermal
absorption to
sustain conversion
of uranium-238
Feasible and
necessary: only fast
fission of Pu-239
produces enough
neutrons per fast
absorption to
sustain conversion
of uranium-238
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Coolant
Temperature
Coolant Choices for Nuclear Reactors
Pressure
Moderate
Temperature
(250-350 C)
High
Temperature
(700-1000 C)
Atmospheric-
Pressure Operation
Liquid Metal Water
Liquid Salt
High-Pressure
Operation
Gas
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Liquid-Fluoride (Salt) Reactors: Background
Liquid-Fluoride Reactors were recognized by
the nuclear pioneers as offering significant
advantages over other reactors types through
use of liquid fluoride salt as both the coolant
and the fuel carrier. These liquid salts offered
the desirable combination of high temperature
operation at low pressures.
In 2002 “molten-salt reactors” were recognized
as a general class as one of six Generation 4
reactor designs.
LFTR meets Gen-4 objectives
F 2
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) (2 fluid)
Fluoride Volatility
238UF 6
UF 6
H 2
Uranium Reduction
HF Electrolyzer
HF
Internal continuous recycling
of blanket salt
Fertile Salt
Recycled
Fuel Salt
Fuel Salt
Recycled
Fertile Salt
“Fuel” salt core ( 7 LiF-
BeF 2- 233 UF 4)
“Hot” salt to heat exchanger
Fission reactions in the core
sustain additional fission in
the core and conversion in
the blanket
“Cold” salt from
heat exchanger
Thorium
tetrafluoride
Thorium is
converting to
uranium-233
in the blanket
“Fertile” salt blanket
( 7 LiF-BeF 2-ThF 4)
UF 6
xF 6
Hexafluoride
Distillation
Recycled
7 LiF-BeF2
Fluoride
Volatility
MoF6, TcF6,
SeF6, RuF5,
TeF6, IF7,
Other F6
Uranium
Absorption-
Reduction
Vacuum
Distillation
Fission
Product
Waste
External “batch” processing
of core salt, done on a
schedule
Energy From Thorium Foundation
250 t uranium
containing
1.75 t U-235 35 t of enriched
uranium
(1.15 t U-235)
800,000 t ore
200 t ore
LWR vs. LFTR Fuel flow (1 GWe plant)
1 t
thorium
U-235 is burned;
some Pu-239 is
formed and burned.
215 t of
depleted U-238
(0.6 t U-235)
Fluoride reactor
converts Th-232 to
U-233 and burns it.
1 t fission
products
35 t of spent
fuel containing:
33.4 t U-238
0.3 t U-235
1.0 t fission
products
0.3 t Pu
In 10 yrs, 83%
FP stable.
17% FP stored
~300 years.
.0001 t
Pu
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Weinberg’s Vision for our Energy Future
Alvin Weinberg had a
vision of our energy
future. It would be
clean and sustainable.
As director of the Oak
Ridge National Lab
from 1955 - 1972 he
and his technical team
made remarkable
progress on this vision,
culminating in the
Molten Salt Reactor
Experiment.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
The Molten
Salt Reactor
Experiment
ran from1965
to 1969.
Salt flowed
through channels
in this graphite
core.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Energy From Thorium Foundation
The Future: Energy from Thorium !
Energy From Thorium Foundation
The Future: Energy from Thorium !
With thorium, you can hold a lifetime’s
supply of energy in the palm of your hand.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Conclusions
Thorium represents a “inexhaustible” source of
energy for the world.
Thorium + LFTR = Sustainable Abundance.
Thorium + LFTR has “public perception” advantages:
Thorium is “new”
Much better safety story – no meltdowns.
Much improved waste story – no “forever” waste.
Learn more at:
http://www.Th90.org
Facebook/EnergyFromThorium
Twitter:ThorFoundation
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Thank You !!!
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Backup Slides !!!
Energy From Thorium Foundation
1954: Aircraft Reactor Experiment used uranium
fluoride dissolved in molten salt at 860 o C.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Relative Nuclide Cross-Sections
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Coolant
Temperature
Fuel Results Coupled with Primary Coolant
Pressure
Moderate
Temperature
(250-350 C)
High
Temperature
(700-1000 C)
Atmospheric-
Pressure Operation
Thermal U-233/Th-232: Feasible but unattractive,
thorium oxide fuel very difficult to process,
requires additional moderator material
Thermal U-235: Feasible but unattractive,
requires additional moderator material
Fast Pu-239/U-238: Attractive implementation,
coolant choice minimizes moderation
Thermal U-233/Th-232: Feasible and attractive,
thorium and uranium tetrafluorides easy to
process, basis of LFTR concept
Thermal U-235: Feasible but unattractive,
requires enriched fuel, limited U-235
Fast Pu-239/U-238: Somewhat feasible, fluoride
salts moderate neutrons, basis of MSFR concept
High-Pressure
Operation
Thermal U-233/Th-232: Feasible but unattractive,
thorium oxide fuel very difficult to process,
demonstrated at Shippingport LWBR
Thermal U-235: Feasible and basis for nearly all
reactors in the world today, limited U-235
Fast Pu-239/U-238: Infeasible, water coolant is
moderates neutrons and no fast spectrum
Liquid-Metal-Cooled Reactors Water-Cooled Reactors
Thermal U-233/Th-232: Feasible but unattractive,
thorium oxide fuel very difficult to process,
demonstrated at Ft. St. Vrain HTGR
Thermal U-235: Feasible implementation, basis of
PBMR, VHTR, GT-MHR concepts, limited U-235
Fast Pu-239/U-238: Feasible implementation,
fuel processing difficult, basis of GCFR and
EM2 concepts
Liquid-Fluoride Reactors Gas-Cooled Reactors
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Coolant
Temperature
Fuel Results Coupled with Primary Coolant
Pressure
Moderate
Temperature
(250-350 C)
High
Temperature
(700-1000 C)
Atmospheric-
Pressure Operation
Liquid-Metal Fast Breeder Reactors
(uranium/plutonium)
Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR)
(thorium232-uranium233 ) (Flibe Energy)
High-Pressure
Operation
Enriched uranium water-cooled reactors
(light-water and heavy-water) (uranium )
Liquid-Metal-Cooled Reactors Water-Cooled Reactors
Pebble-Bed and Prismatic-Fueled
High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors
Gas-Cooled Fast Breeder Reactors
(uranium/plutonium)
Liquid-Fluoride Reactors Gas-Cooled Reactors
Energy From Thorium Foundation
2 Natural Nuclear Fuels: Thorium & Uranium
Thorium
One isotope (232)
14 billion year half life
Uranium
Two isotopes (235, 238)
U238: 5 billion year half life
U235: 700 million year half life
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Energy per Capita KCal/day
250
200
150
100
50
0
Energy and Civilization
Transportation
Industry and Agriculture
Home and Commerce
Food
Primitive Man Hunting Man Primitive
Agricultural Man
Advanced
Agricultural Man
Industrial Man Technological Man
Years ago 1 Million 100,000 5,000 600 230 50-present
Food 2 3 4 6 7 10
Home and Commerce 2 4 12 32 66
Industry and Agriculture 4 7 24 91
Transportation 1 14 63
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Light-Water Reactor Spent Fuel Profile
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Energy
Total energy per capita in US per year:
~330,000,000 BTUs
(About 10 tonnes of coal)
(About 800 tonnes of coal in a lifetime)
Personal + Industry.
Standard of living is
closely related to
energy per capita.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
What about Nuclear Energy
Safety Record of Todays Nuclear (LWR)
Excellent Safety Record
Sourse:www.the9billion.com/2011/03/24/death-rate-from-nuclear-power-vs-coal/
Energy From Thorium Foundation
What about Nuclear Energy
Safety Record of Todays Nuclear (LWR)
Excellent Safety Record (comes at a cost).
Disadvantages
Concerns over meltdowns
Concerns over the long lived radioactive waste
Advantages
Clean Energy
HUGE quantity of energy from very little fuel.
Thousands of years of supply (Burners)
Millions to Billions of years of supply (Breeders)
What about Advanced Nuclear ?
Breeders
Thorium
Energy From Thorium Foundation
The Future: Energy from Thorium !
Natural, abundant and inexpensive
thorium can supply our energy needs.
Thorium energy can be inexpensive
and clean if extracted by a Liquid
Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR).
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Advanced Nuclear
Thorium and Uranium have a MILLION times the
energy for the same quantity of either oil or coal
The technology to efficiently use thorium was
largely developed in the United States in the 1950s
and 1960s, but has subsequently been neglected.
This technology can allow us to build small,
modular, safe thorium reactors that can be used for:
1. Electricity production
2. Fabricate synthetic fuels to power our vehicles
3. Produce Fertilizers
4. Desalinate sea water
5. Process heat for industry
Energy From Thorium Foundation
A supernova made the elements of the periodic table.
Thorium
Uranium
Energy From Thorium Foundation
An Introduction Thorium Fuel Cycle
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR)
Chemical
separator
Th-232 in
New U-233 fuel
Fertile
Th-232 blanket
n
Fissile
U-233 core
Heat
n
Chemical
separator
Fission
products
out
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Weinberg’s Vision for our Energy Future
Alvin Weinberg had a
vision of our energy
future. It would be
clean and sustainable.
As director of the Oak
Ridge National Lab
from 1955 - 1972 he
and his technical team
made remarkable
progress on this vision,
culminating in the
Molten Salt Reactor
Experiment.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
LFTR produces < 1% of the long-lived
radiotoxic waste of today’s reactors.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Conventional
Light Water
Reactor
Containment
Building
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Uranium Oxide
Fuel Pellets
Energy From Thorium Foundation
LFTR Passive Safety
Drain Tank
Freeze Plug
Energy From Thorium Foundation
LFTR Advantages
Cannot “Meltdown”
Walk away safe
No Long Lived Nuclear Waste
(No ~300,000 year storage)
~1% of the “waste” requiring ~300 yr. storage
Low capital costs
Low recurring costs (No Fuel Fabrication)
Energy From Thorium Foundation
LFTR Advantages
Millions of
years of fuel
One cu foot of “dirt” has the energy of 5
barrels of oil.
The thorium in all of the land on earth can
power the world for longer than 1 million
years (utilizing soil to only a depth of 10 feet)
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Why Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTR)
Proven Concepts
MSRE operated for 4 years at ORNL and proved much of
the LFTR concepts.
Proliferation Resistant.
U-233 is highly unsuitable for nuclear weapons due to
small amounts of U232.
No operational nuclear weapons use U233.
US tested only one weapon that used U233.
Military Effects Test (MET) Operation Teapot, 1955)
Pu239/U233 core. 22KT yield. 33KT expected.
No fissile material in the spent fuel (waste)
Higher Temperatures
LFTR enable the production synthetic fuels and fertilizers.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Motor Fuel Less Expensive than from Oil
Dissociate water at 900 o C to make
hydrogen, with sulfur-iodine process.
http://wwwtest.iri.tudelft.nl/~klooster/reports/hydro_slides_2003.pdf
Ammonia
Dimethyl ether
for diesel
CO2 + 3 H2
CH3OH + H2O
Methanol for
gasoline
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Why Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTR)
Higher Temperatures
LFTR enable the production synthetic fuels and fertilizers.
More efficient electricity production
Waste heat can be used to desalinate sea water.
LFTRs can be factory built, similar to Boeing aircraft
production
Common design and factory construction reduce cost
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Emulate Boeing Mass Production
LFTR Production Line
One LFTR per day ?
Standardized Units
Computer aided
design, Engineering
and Manufacturing
$200 Million per unit ?
Energy From Thorium Foundation
The Energy From Thorium Foundation
Purpose - Promote and educate on the adoption of
Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTRs) as a
major element of US energy policy to achieve energy
independence, economic growth and
Sustainable Abundance:
To enable the increase in the standard of living for
everyone in the United States and on planet Earth by
making available low cost, inexhaustible, clean
Energy From Thorium !
Lets make Energy the “Bandwidth” of tomorrow.
With your help we will change the Regulatory
Environment so LFTRs can be built and licensed in
the US.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
LFTR Challanges
LFTR is not (yet) fully understood by
regulatory agencies and officials. NRC
takes years just to review a new reactor
design.
Need some way to cut through this RED
TAPE.
Energy From Thorium Foundation
EFTF: Monthly Google Plus Hang Outs
Talk with a different expert every Month. Last
Month it was Kirk Sorenson, founder of Flibe
Energy.
Participate live at Plus.Google.com and search
for Energy From Thorium
Watch real time from the Foundation Website
www.Th90.org
Energy From Thorium Foundation
An Introduction to the Thorium Fuel Cycle
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Why Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTR)
Thorium Element 90
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Historical Energy Usage of USA
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Approximate World Energy Consumption source breakdown
5.3 billion
tonnes of coal
(128 quads)
2.92 tillion m 3
103 trillion ft 3 of
natural gas
(105 quads)
65,000 tonnes
of uranium ore
(24 quads)
31.1 billion
barrels of oil
(180 quads)
Hydro-Electric
Power
(18 quads)
Other (15 Quads)
Total Consumption 424 Quads
????????????????????????
1 quad = 1 quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) BTUs (1,055,000,000,000,000,000 J)
Energy From Thorium Foundation
GDP
per
capita
$50,000
$45,000
$40,000
$35,000
$30,000
$25,000
$20,000
$15,000
$10,000
$5,000
$0
Prosperity depends on energy.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2042rank.html
Nations with populations
over 10 million.
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
Annual kWh per capita
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Advanced Nuclear
Source
Instantaneously released energy
Average energy released
(MeV)
Kinetic energy of fission fragments 168.2
Kinetic energy of prompt neutrons 4.9
Energy carried by prompt γ-rays 7.7
Energy from decaying fission
products
Energy of β−-particles 5.2
Energy of anti-neutrinos 6.9
Energy of delayed γ-rays 5.0
Sum, less escaping anti-neutrinos 191.0
Energy released when those prompt
neutrons which don't (re)produce
fission are captured
Energy converted into heat in an
operating thermal nuclear reactor
9.1
200.1
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Coolant
Temperature
Fuel Results Coupled with Primary Coolant
Pressure
Moderate
Temperature
(250-350 C)
High
Temperature
(700-1000 C)
Atmospheric-
Pressure Operation
Thermal U-233/Th-232: Feasible but unattractive,
thorium oxide fuel very difficult to process,
requires additional moderator material
Thermal U-235: Feasible but unattractive,
requires additional moderator material
Fast Pu-239/U-238: Attractive implementation,
coolant choice minimizes moderation
Thermal U-233/Th-232: Feasible and attractive,
thorium and uranium tetrafluorides easy to
process, basis of LFTR concept
Thermal U-235: Feasible but unattractive,
requires enriched fuel, limited U-235
Fast Pu-239/U-238: Somewhat feasible, fluoride
salts moderate neutrons, basis of MSFR concept
High-Pressure
Operation
Thermal U-233/Th-232: Feasible but unattractive,
thorium oxide fuel very difficult to process,
demonstrated at Shippingport LWBR
Thermal U-235: Feasible and basis for nearly all
reactors in the world today, limited U-235
Fast Pu-239/U-238: Infeasible, water coolant is
moderates neutrons and no fast spectrum
Liquid-Metal-Cooled Reactors Water-Cooled Reactors
Thermal U-233/Th-232: Feasible but unattractive,
thorium oxide fuel very difficult to process,
demonstrated at Ft. St. Vrain HTGR
Thermal U-235: Feasible implementation, basis of
PBMR, VHTR, GT-MHR concepts, limited U-235
Fast Pu-239/U-238: Feasible implementation,
fuel processing difficult, basis of GCFR and
EM2 concepts
Liquid-Fluoride Reactors Gas-Cooled Reactors
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Coolant
Temperature
Fuel Results Coupled with Primary Coolant
Pressure
Moderate
Temperature
(250-350 C)
High
Temperature
(700-1000 C)
Atmospheric-
Pressure Operation
Liquid-Metal Fast Breeder Reactors
(uranium/plutonium)
Liquid-Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR)
(thorium232-uranium233 ) (Flibe Energy)
High-Pressure
Operation
Enriched uranium water-cooled reactors
(light-water and heavy-water) (uranium )
Liquid-Metal-Cooled Reactors Water-Cooled Reactors
Pebble-Bed and Prismatic-Fueled
High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors
Gas-Cooled Fast Breeder Reactors
(uranium/plutonium)
Liquid-Fluoride Reactors Gas-Cooled Reactors
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Eugene Wigner
Eugene Wigner
Conceived the Thorium
Uranium Breeder
Reactor.
Co-authored
Numerous Patents on
Light Water Reactors
with Alvin Weinberg
1963 Nobel Prize in
Physics
Energy From Thorium Foundation
Conclusions
Thorium is a natural, abundant energy source of
extraordinary energy density and the technology to
unlock the potential of thorium is real and has been
demonstrated.
Thorium represents a practically inexhaustible
source of energy for the US and the world.
Thorium and the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor
(LFTR) can enable True Energy Independence.
Learn more at:
http://www.EnergyFromThorium.com
http://www.EnergyFromThorium.org
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