Thorium Reactors

Thorium reactors are the future of energy. They are a more advanced nuclear reactor allowing them to be more safe. Thorium reactors works by heating water to a boil by the fission of Uranium-233. Uranium-233 is harvested from the abundant material thorium. thorium is much cheaper and easier to mine than uranium so it is more cost effective. Thorium reactors also produce more energy, and less waste than Uranium reactors. The only set back of replacing Uranium reactors with Thorium reactors is the start up costs. The start up cost is extremely expensive, around 1.1 billion dollars. Companies would definitely need some financial help from the government for these reactors to come into fruition so we may see some tax raises or new taxes, but the benefits we can reap from these reactors are amazing. The integration for this system is extremely easy, it works just the same as a Uranium power plant. The steam turns a turbine, the turbine generates electricity, the electricity goes through wires to a grid where it is stored and distributed. Unfortunately once the reactor is in place and hooked up to a power grid, it is very difficult to change grids or not use a grid at all. Even though there are a few drawbacks to Thorium reactors, we should invest in them because of the benefits they offer. They are not nearly as dangerous as Uranium reactors, the produce more energy, and they produce less waste than previous reactors. Thorium is also four times as abundant as Uranium, estimates say that strictly using thorium, there is enough of it to power the United States for 1,000 years. That amount of energy would solve our energy problems until the year 3,000. One ton of Thorium produces as much energy as 200 tons of Uranium, and 3.5 million tons of coal. It is also a lot safer because it is nearly impossible to create a practical nuclear weapon from Thorium waste. There is also a fail safe plug at the bottom of the reactor so that if something happens and the Thorium gets too hot, it melts the plug and is drained into a tank for safe keeping eliminating the risk of a meltdown. Thorium is also much easier to mine. Ore deposits generally contain more Thorium than they do Uranium, and they congregate in larger deposits. This makes mining it safer, more cost efficient, and more environmentally friendly than mining Uranium. It is time to make the switch to Thorium reactors.

Sources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_fluoride_thorium_reactor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium-based_nuclear_power

• http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current-and-Future-Generation/Thorium/

•