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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-28/china-thorium-molten-salt-nuclear-reactor-energy/100351932
Scientists in China are about to turn on for the first time an experimental reactor that's believed by some to be the Holy Grail of nuclear energy — safer, cheaper and with less potential for weaponisation.
Construction on the thorium-based molten salt reactor was expected to be finished this month with the first tests to begin as early as September, according to a statement from the Gansu provincial government.
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China Set to Begin First Trials of Thorium Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor
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There is no act of treachery or mean-ness of which a political party
is not capable; for in politics there is no honour.
-- Benjamin Disraeli, "Vivian Grey"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 29 2021, @04:06AM (4 children)
Energy from Fusion is 2 orders of magnitude above fission but compared to chemical reactions fission releases 5 orders of magnitude more energy. https://why-infoloommedia.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Similarities-between-Fission-and-Fusion.jpg [netdna-ssl.com]
But people like you are the reason we'll be buying our MSRs from China rather than making them ourselves
(Score: 2) by MIRV888 on Sunday August 29 2021, @04:28AM (1 child)
I'll take helium for 500 Alex.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by PinkyGigglebrain on Sunday August 29 2021, @08:14PM
you do know that one of the biggest hurdles in Fusion power is going to be fuel right?
None of the current fusion projects are expected to be able to ever sustain pure Hydrogen fusion events, the temperatures and pressures are just too far beyond anything Humanity can manage in the foreseeable future.
The current path plans to use isotopes of Hydrogen and Helium, namely H2 and He3, which fuse at lower temperature and pressures.
But getting enough He3 is going to be hard, it is incredibly rare on Earth and expensive to concentrate into usable concentrations. A proposed method is to use the neutrons from the fusion reactions to breed He3 from Lithium in a blanket that will surround the fusion core. The method hasn't actually been proven to work at the scale and efficiencies needed to make a fusion power plant self sustaining in regards to fuel supply.
Why do you think everyone is talking excitedly about harvesting He3 from Luna?
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 29 2021, @04:37AM
It's kind of tough on "people like you" that you have to convince "people like them" before you can have your dirty nuclear power plant, presumably NIMBY.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday August 29 2021, @05:07AM
It's more like less than one order of magnitude. For example, deuterium+tritium fusion converts about 0.5% of its mass into energy. This source [tandfonline.com] claims that a fission bomb converts about 0.1% of its fissionable mass into energy.