/sci/ - Science & Math

OK very short.

L.F.T.R. fission reactor(s) providing energy to initiate, sustain and contain a prolonged nuclear fusion reaction.

This is a very brief summary of the idea I'm just looking for any feedback at all really.

>>5812417
Nations with thorium research initiatives:
1) China. Came an raided the ORNL archives, have a five-year plan to build prototype LFTR reactor.
2) India. Massive thorium reserves, but are more comfortable with the CANDU technology, so they are looking at solid-oxides instead. Already have several research thorium reactors.
3) Japan. Had a research initiative, but new nuclear projects are on hold due to Fukushima hysteria.
4) UK. Weinberg Foundation is going to build a prototype LFTR.
5) Czech Republic. One of their universities specializes in LFTR.
6) US. Sorenson's company FliBe wants to design a small LFTR for the military. Sadly it has to compete with a bunch of other emerging nuclear technologies and 4th generation reactors. For example, Bill Gates is backing the traveling wave reactor instead.

The thing that really gets me is that with all the billions we've spent on pie-in-the-sky fusion research we could have developed hundreds of LFTRs by now!

>>5560653
any chance the thing could be powered by a LFTR Thorium Reactor?

Bumping for progress. What exactly has happened since all the hype a the beginning of the year? Is Flibe still searching for startup capital? Did they get a Darpa contract? Any news trickling out about the Chinese plans?

>>4776593
>Actually, I am creating the reactor.

do tell! what part are you working on?

>>4346728
Thorium reactors are breeders. A fissile material splits via a chain reaction and produces energy and extra neutrons. Thorium is the fertile material, either intermixed with the fissile material or in a surrounding blanket. The fertile material absorbs the extra neutrons, transmuting into another element (Protactinium-239). After a half life of 30 days, it decays to U-233 which is the bred fissile material, closing the fuel cycle.