Then again, there is the thorium reactor...

though we have barely begun to crack the potential of solar power.

Producing PV cells are the problem, and the killer is ENERGY DENSITY, as usual.

Solar doesn't cut it for power generation.

Thorium burns the plutonium residue left by uranium reactors

So you can only use it in existing reactors that once had uranium in them?

It was not only exposed, it was blown by the massive steam explosion into small fragments along with a mass of about a thousand tons of graphite (the moderator) which was already heated to well above ignition temperature. Once the nitrogen blanket was blown away, all of that burst into flames and burned for days, carrying large quantities of fission products airborne to be dispersed by the winds.

In Chernobyl, the fuel made up just 115 kg of the core. In total, less than 4% of all core material was released to the environment (total, most of that ended up outside the building and in adjacent structures - it is though less than 0.5% of core material including moderator made it airborne). ~10% of the moderator was consumed in the fire.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8445946/Japan-admits-delaying-upgrading-of-nuclear-crisis.html
I'll bet they are still holding out on us. It will be years before we know the real truth.

Look at the Chernobyl disaster - the death toll is still officially only 35!!!

Best regards,
Vulcan.

Vulcan wrote: So you can only use it in existing reactors that once had uranium in them?

Vulcan -> So you can only use it in existing reactors that once had uranium in them? Martin W -> I wouldn't have thought so, a thorium reactor is an entirely different design, an entirely new plant.

You're both right, in a way.  The liquid salt RX and some other types that use thorium fuel are unique and would have to be purpose-built for that.

Within some limits, some existing light water reactors could use thorium-based fuel or MOX fuel containing some thorium, however that would require some serious work on safety analyses, retraining and possibly relicensing RX operators, resetting perhaps several hundred or several thousand plant instrument setpoints, controllers, etc. including changing firmware in some, possible plant modifications (no modification is minor in a nuclear plant) and a license amendment would have to be applied for from and approved by the licensing authority.  Starting up with the new core might also require a period of operation at reduced power for low power physics testing.  Switching to thorium also assumes that you can actually find someone to fabricate the fuel for you and that the vendor of your particular brand of RX would support you with accident analyses, technical support, etc.  It's not just a matter of the plant manager saying, "Let's try a load of high-test in the next core and see how she does."

Jumping between those canoes in the middle of that stream while uranium based fuel is easily available would be unlikely at best.  I can't see what would drive a utility to do that, even though it's technically possible.

It's an interesting concept and a little work has been done on it but it never really caught on with those building plants and does not offer, at least in the short term, the solution to anything.  It's a major change of direction and would be a long-term project to do much with it.

Just took this from moscow times


Kiriyenko: Japan Is Exaggerating Crisis 14 April 2011 Reuters SANYA, China — Japanese authorities may be exaggerating the scope of the country's nuclear disaster to reduce the liabilities of insurance companies, Russia's nuclear chief said Wednesday.

Japanese officials on Tuesday upgraded the severity of the emergency at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant to a 7, putting it on par with the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the world's worst.

"It is hard for me to assess why the Japanese colleagues have taken this decision. I suspect, this is more of a financial issue, than a nuclear one," Sergei Kiriyenko said on the sidelines of a meeting of major developing economies in southern China.

"I guess that maybe it could be linked to the definition of force majeure with regard to insurance. I would pay attention to that. It is a bit strange," Kiriyenko said without further elaboration.

Japan, which initially ranked the crippled plant at a 4, said it had taken time to measure radiation from the plant after it was smashed by March 11's massive quake and tsunami.

Officials were quick to add that increasing the rating to the highest level on a globally recognized scale did not mean the situation had suddenly become more critical.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a Level 7 incident means a major release of radiation with a widespread health and environmental impact, while a Level 5 is a limited release of radioactive material, with several deaths.

No radiation-linked deaths have been reported since the earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant.

Several experts have agreed that Japan's new rating exaggerated the severity of the crisis and did not compare with Chernobyl, which blew the roof off a reactor and sent large amounts of radiation across Europe.

Kiriyenko said the damaged plant should have initially been ranked at a 5 or 6, a level he said still matched the severity of the leaking radiation given the current low risk of a blast.

"Our estimates showed that the level was between 5 and 6. Today it doesn't reach the 6th level," he said.

Vulcan won't like it though, because there's no conspiracy involved.

I'd call manipulating the insurance risk conspiracy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_%28civil%29

Strange that you don't question the veracity of the claims made by a country known to lie to its own people for political gain, and is openly corrupt.

Let it not be forgotten that the USSR as it was then denied for nearly a week the problem, until it was raised in a UN council meeting with evidence, that someone had a nuclear accident. Only then did they admit to it. Even so, they still deny the extent of the problem (official death toll is still only 35).

I really would get out of the habit of believing a story just because it fits your ideas.

Best regards,
Vulcan.

What i posted wasnt my opinion just what i had read. But i think the truth will come out in the wash in japan in the future how bad or not this situation really is.

Vulcan you are right about the USSR 'Problem ? what problem?`Mentality Ive heard a story about an nuclear accident in a closed city in the 70`s it wiped out the whole city and the population that was left had to clean up the mess. But because the city was 'closed' nobody heard about it. And this is not a conspiracy theory it really did happen. Research the history of closed cities in Russia and the USSR and you will find some very very frightening things.

Every year here we have our victory day parade, which involves heroes from all the Russian wars, also it includes the cleaners that were sent from this city to work at chernobyl and who are still surviving today. I do not exaggerate when i say that the amount of cleaners reduces rapidly every year, more so than the heroes from the second world war. Also i was told a story about some unscrupulous people shipping animals from the radiated area around Chernobyl and feeding them to the local population here, but thats hearsay and as the missus says when i ask about such things ' I know nothing i'm from Barcelona'

And i pray that the Japanese are over estimating the problem there.

And i pray that the Japanese are over estimating the problem there.

I hope so too, but history shows that far from being honest or over-playing a disaster, the opposite is true.

And this is not a conspiracy theory it really did happen.

I talk to several people from Russia regularly, and the things they tell me are just horrifying. You couldn't make that stuff up.

If you want a real conspiracy theory to mull over, visit this site and listen to the feed. If you think the feed is fake, get a SW radio and listen for yourself.

http://uvb-76.blogspot.com/

Maybe now you'll start understand why I am like I am.

Don't forget also the spy ring recently broken in the US. Think the cold war is over? Think again...

Best regards,
Vulcan.

Maybe now you'll start understand why I am like I am.

I don't ignore them 

 

Of course you do, it was Chris that drew attention to it in our last GW debate.

 

 or have been previously shown to be liars

 

There you go, prime example. And I countered that by pointing out that the researchers weren't lying and that data correction was essential to arrive at the right conclusion. You offered no counter argument of your own. You walked away, and now you make the same claim again.

 

A debate works the following way...

 

1. You make a claim.

 

2. The other person in the debate offers a counter argument.

 

3. You respond by countering the counter argument if you believe it's wrong. 

 

 

You don't respond because you can't. And you can't, because the vast majority of your claims are bogus, plucked form Internet conspiracy sites.

 

Here's another prime example for you...

 

Time and time again, when you delve into the 9/11 conspiracy again, forum members explain to you why you are wrong in regard to specifc points, and time and time again you offer no counter argument, but return later with the same claims and it all starts again, round and round and round.