[ExI] Could Thorium solve our energy problem?

[John Clark]

On Jul 10, 2010, at 5:23 PM, samantha wrote:

> So, are there any current commercial molten salt thorium reactor projects in the US? 

Not now, there were some small ones in the 1960's made by Alvin Weinberg but they were no help in developing weapons because they produced no Plutonium so they were shut down. Ironically Weinberg is the man who invented the pressurized light water reactor we use today and encouraged Admiral Rickover to put them in submarines, but when they just scaled up the submarine design for huge power plants he thought that was a dangerous move and believed his new idea, liquid Thorium salts, was a much better way to go. He was told that if he had doubts about his original invention it was time for him to get out of the nuclear business and he was fired.

Today the amount of money spent on molten salt thorium reactors is zero. I think a larger number might be appropriate.

 John K Clark  



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