Transatomic (MIT) plans for New Molten Salt Reactor

[rcain]

WHOOT! WHOOT!

http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/03/transa ... duced.html

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/51 ... the-price/

fantastic news!

[CaptainBeowulf]

"Transatomic Power's Waste-Annihilating Molten Salt Reactor -- WAMSR -- can convert the high-level nuclear waste produced by conventional nuclear reactors each year into $7.1 trillion of electricity. At full deployment, our reactors can use existing stockpiles of nuclear waste to satisfy the world’s electricity needs through 2083."

So, they're going all-in for all the benefits of thorium.

Even if Polywell, FRCs or Lock-Mart's fusion work out - or even some sort of cost-feasible result of ITER/DEMO - we really need a bunch of thorium reactors to just burn through as much waste as possible while producing power from it.

This *is* the logical near-term solution as we keep on waiting for fusion. I hope it works out for them.

[kurt9]

Yes. Using deep-burn nuclear fission, the entire world's need of electricity could be generated from nothing more than nuclear waste for at least the next century. That gives us plenty of time to develop fusion power.

[necoras]

I know Los Alamos has been working on the "burn waste for power" problem as well. I don't know what their approach is. I believe TerraPower's TWR operates on the same premise. I'm glad that someone's finally moving forward with a prototype.

It's frustrating that people keep bringing up the "nuclear powered airplane" myth. No self respecting engineer would have ever put a nuclear reactor in an airplane, particularly a military one that was going to be getting shot at. What they would (and did) do is claim they're working on a reactor small enough for an airplane so that oblivious politicians and generals would fund their research.

[ladajo]

I am glad you are so smart about that topic.
I guess I, unlike you, am one of the folks who have actually seen the engines. I guess, I am also one of the few, who knows that there was testing.

But maybe I am not one of a few. I am willing to bet there are a number of folks like me.
Especially ones who saw the engines when they were parked on flat cars here:

433159.66N 1125628.51W

Myth my ass.

It might also surprise you to know that there was another "flyable" nuclear plant. It was an airportable design known as SL-1. Google can help you out.

[paperburn1]

Isnt that also the "first" city to be powered by a reactor as well?
Heres a link to part of the story
http://www.radiationworks.com/atomicairplanes.htm
These new kids on the block Makes ya smile.

[ladajo]

Qualified yes.

They also used to test Battleship guns out there.
SL-1 is now a geometric desert dead spot with commemorative plaque. 433101.75N 1124918.37W
The burial site is just to the Northeast of the former facility site.

[ladajo]

http://www.inl.gov/publications/d/provi ... ter_02.pdf

433210.04N 1125614.87W

The South Butte (Target) is to the Southwest of this site.

[MSimon]

SL-1 - in theory the only nuclear reactor ever used for a murder/suicide - if the speculation is correct. Which investigators deem unlikely. I like it for the drama though.

[ladajo]

Isnt that also the "first" city to be powered by a reactor as well?
Heres a link to part of the story
http://www.radiationworks.com/atomicairplanes.htm
These new kids on the block Makes ya smile.

Hadn't seen that, thanks for the link.

The updated location of the nuclear engines (glad to see they choose to do something useful with them):

43.511743N 113.005034W

What happened to "They don't exist" guy? <crickets...>

[KitemanSA]

FYI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_R ... Experiment

[KitemanSA]

PS: Fast spectrum MSRs for burning SNF had been discussed at the Energy From Thorium Discussion Forum for several years before the MIT students claimed it as their own.
http://www.energyfromthorium.com/forum/

[ladajo]

FYI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_R ... Experiment

Hah! I am so used to not looking at wikipedia, that I did not think to see what it had!

Thanks.