The first molten salt reactor is installed
Molten salt reactors do not need water for cooling because they can transfer heat and generate electricity. liquid salt ve carbon dioxide are used together. China is the primary fuel thorium wants to use it. Because it is known that thorium is much more abundant than uranium. This type of reactors could be ideal for China because the country’s thorium reserves are reportedly abundant enough to meet China’s energy needs for 20,000 years.
China builds the world’s first molten salt reactor nuclear power plant 2029 I completed it in just 4 years. put into operation aims. The power plant will not be a very large structure. Already according to plans, the facility 60 MW It will produce heat at its power. Some of the thermal energy 10MW electrical power will start the unit. The remaining part is hydrogen in production will be used. Reactor is the product we have heard about frequently in recent times. small modular reactor It is based on the (SMR) approach.
This simplifies the construction and installation of the reactor. Of course, China’s breakthrough in energy dates back to the past years, it is a process. For example, the world’s only thorium reactor is located in China. The facility, which produces 2 MW thermal power, is also located in the Gobi Desert, but it does not produce energy. In this facility, China used some superalloys that can withstand high temperatures, radiation and chemical corrosion. So it was kind of a technology demo.
China will use this reactor for research purposes. However, along with the thorium power plant, a wind energy base, a solar power plant, a molten salt-based energy storage power plant, a thermal power plant and a chemical production base will also be built in the region. With the information produced here 2030 China, since 100MW or more has electricity generation capacity will begin building commercial modular thorium-based reactors.
About molten salt reactors
Molten salt reactors (molten-salt reactor – MSR)represents a revolutionary technology in nuclear energy production and is based on the fission reaction. These reactors, unlike conventional nuclear reactors, use fuel dissolved in molten salt mixtures. This innovative approach Significant advantages in safety, efficiency and waste management offers.
MSRs are available in water-cooled reactors nuclear meltdown It eliminates or greatly minimizes this scenario because the fuel mixture is kept molten. The high boiling points of molten salts allow the reactor to operate at low pressure. This situation, makes the use of pressurized structures unnecessary and greatly reduces the risk of explosion. Additionally, in an emergency, the cooling and solidification of molten salts prevents the leakage of radioactive materials and minimizes the risk of core melting. Moreover hydrogen evolution in these reactors not improving. as it is hydrogen explosion The risk (as in the Fukushima nuclear disaster) also disappears. In most uranium-fueled reactors that currently use water for cooling, there is a risk of explosion if the pumps fail. However, in the thorium reactor, molten salt can fall into a container under the reactor and prevent any threat.
These reactors also have advantages on the waste management side. These reactors are smaller and produces less hazardous waste. The use of thorium further reinforces this advantage. The thorium fuel cycle produces much smaller amounts of transuranic elements than the uranium fuel cycle, reducing the radioactivity and difficulty of managing waste.
However, there is always a give and take in nuclear fission, and therefore MSRs also have some difficulties and disadvantages. Molten salts at high temperature May have aggressive chemical properties and this can challenge the durability of reactor materials. Therefore, it requires advanced research in materials science to ensure that reactor components are durable and long-lasting. China’s experimental thorium reactor facility has provided important knowledge in this sense.
On the other hand, molten salt reactors are not a new phenomenon and even dates back to the 1950s. mid 20th century ABDhad put two research MSRs into operation. Oak Ridge National LaboratoryExperimental studies conducted at (ORNL) laid the foundations of this technology. At the time, molten salt reactors attracted great attention for their high efficiency and safety features, but work on them slowed as they were given priority to other designs.
In recent years, there has been a trend towards this technology in China, the USA, Europe and some other regions. interest is rising again and various pilot projects are restarting. Although China has taken the first step here, we will see initiatives from different companies in this field until the 2030s. For example Bill Gates founded by TerraPoweris collaborating with Oak Ridge Laboratory on the Natrium project for the thorium-fueled reactor project. However, most countries have to overcome challenges such as corrosion. China has an advantage here, thanks to its pilot project.
Source
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/china-world-first-molten-salt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten-salt_reactor
https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/molten-salt-reactors
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