Liquid fluoride thorium reactor

See also: Thorium-based nuclear power

Liquid FLiBe salt

The liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR; often pronounced lifter) is a type of molten salt reactor. LFTRs use the thorium fuel cycle with a fluoride-based molten (liquid) salt for fuel. In a typical design, the liquid is pumped between a critical core and an external heat exchanger where the heat is transferred to a nonradioactive secondary salt. The secondary salt then transfers its heat to a steam turbine or closed-cycle gas turbine.[1]

Molten-salt-fueled reactors (MSRs) supply the nuclear fuel mixed into a molten salt. They should not be confused with designs that use a molten salt for cooling only (fluoride high-temperature reactors) and still have a solid fuel.[2] Molten salt reactors, as a class, include both burners and breeders in fast or thermal spectra, using fluoride or chloride salt-based fuels and a range of fissile or fertile consumables. LFTRs are defined by the use of fluoride fuel salts and the breeding of thorium into uranium-233 in the thermal neutron spectrum.

The LFTR concept was first investigated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment in the 1960s, though the MSRE did not use thorium. The LFTR has recently been the subject of a renewed interest worldwide.[3] Japan, China, the UK and private US, Czech, Canadian[4] and Australian companies have expressed the intent to develop, and commercialize the technology.

LFTRs differ from other power reactors in almost every aspect: they use thorium that is turned into uranium, instead of using uranium directly; they are refueled by pumping without shutdown.[5] Their liquid salt coolant allows higher operating temperature and much lower pressure in the primary cooling loop. These distinctive characteristics give rise to many potential advantages, as well as design challenges.

  1. ^ LeBlanc, David (2010). "Molten salt reactors: A new beginning for an old idea" (PDF). Nuclear Engineering and Design. 240 (6): 1644. doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2009.12.033.
  2. ^ Greene, Sherrel (May 2011). Fluoride Salt-cooled High Temperature Reactors – Technology Status and Development Strategy. ICENES-2011. San Francisco, CA.
  3. ^ Stenger, Victor (12 January 2012). "LFTR: A Long-Term Energy Solution?". Huffington Post.
  4. ^ Williams, Stephen (16 January 2015). "Molten Salt Reactors: The Future of Green Energy?". ZME Science. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference dm20150116 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).