Nuclear Energy

RedGreekRevolt

New Member
Registered Member
Thorium is a game changer on multiple levels - higher Carnot efficiency, vastly greater fuel supply, greater fuel efficiency due to cleaner burning fuel cycle with less long lived nuclear waste (because those waste products are also fissioned), etc. I don't think China will abandon it. Being careful is fine when it's something as high stakes as this.
We will see, in my opinion the greatest threat right now is that the TMSR-LF1 runs out it's maximum lifetime (10 years), gets decommissioned and TMSR-LF2 doesn't get built. I do think that after TMSR-LF3 (100MWe) gets built the project will have probably achieved escape velocity and GW scale reactors will be very likely to be built at that point.
 

charles18

Junior Member
Registered Member
We will see, in my opinion the greatest threat right now is that the TMSR-LF1 runs out it's maximum lifetime (10 years), gets decommissioned and TMSR-LF2 doesn't get built. I do think that after TMSR-LF3 (100MWe) gets built the project will have probably achieved escape velocity and GW scale reactors will be very likely to be built at that point.
Let's assume by year 2100 China figures out how to make nuclear fusion power work!
If this is true then nuclear thorium reactor technology will "only" have a useful life span of 74 years because afterwards nuclear fusion will dominate. Or maybe I'm wrong and thorium technology becomes like "coal power" something that will run the world for the next 300 years.
 

RedGreekRevolt

New Member
Registered Member
Let's assume by year 2100 China figures out how to make nuclear fusion power work!
If this is true then nuclear thorium reactor technology will "only" have a useful life span of 74 years because afterwards nuclear fusion will dominate. Or maybe I'm wrong and thorium technology becomes like "coal power" something that will run the world for the next 300 years.
For fusion to replace fission you not only need to make it work, you need it to produce electricity cheaper per kWh than fission. That's not happening any time soon. For technological leadership and national prestige you could have it producing like <1% of the electricity demand.
 
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