Recently, media reports said China plans to set up two molten salt reactors in Gansu Province, the news promptly led to Russia's concern, according to the Russian satellite news agency yesterday (8) reported that in the field of nuclear energy, such reactors or open a new era. In the field of reactors, there are several research plans in the world and a number of technology start-up teams are engaged in research and development, among which China started the thorium-based molten salt nuclear reactor project in 2011 under the leadership of the famous scholar Jiang Mianheng.
Reported that at present, there are no operating reactors in the world, although their research has never stopped.In addition to China, the United States, Canada and Russia are also engaged in research projects in the field of prospects.
The Russian satellite news agency also mentioned that such reactors are suitable for use in new nuclear power plants or for energy installations in ships, space equipment and even aircraft.
According to a statement from the official website of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on November 10, this project has received financial support from the government and two nuclear reactors are expected to be put into operation before 2020.
What is the advantage of this type of reactor?
Jiang Mianheng once said that the development of nuclear energy utilization of thorium resources is the dream of more than half a century since the beginning of 2007. The CAS has mastered a series of key technologies of thorium-based molten salt reactor systems through the implementation of the A-type strategic pilot science and technology project for more than six years, Through the strategic cooperation between the two sides, it will surely bring fruitful results in Gansu. TMSR is safe, clean, anhydrous, hot and so on. After the completion of the TMSR experimental reactor in 2020, Gansu will gradually become the strategic implementation of 'One Belt and One Road' New energy base.
Prospects of Comprehensive Utilization of Nuclear Energy Based on Thorium - based Molten Salt Nuclear Energy System (TMSR)
Surging news reported earlier, molten salt reactor using high-temperature molten salt as a coolant, with high temperature, low pressure, high chemical stability, high heat capacity and other thermal properties, without the use of heavy and expensive pressure vessel, suitable for compact, lightweight And low-cost small modular reactors. In addition, the molten salt reactor uses waterless cooling technology and operates with only a small amount of water to generate electricity efficiently in arid regions. The high temperature nuclear heat output from the molten salt stacks can be used to generate electricity and also be used In industrial heat applications, high temperature hydrogen production and hydrogen absorption of carbon dioxide into methanol.
The South China Morning Post reported on the 5th that it also has the advantage of using thorium as the main fuel for China, which is the world's largest metal reserves country.
According to Wikipedia, molten salt reactor research began in the United States in the late 1940s. Concentration studies of molten salt reactors began with the US Aircraft Reactor Experiment (ARE), designed to bring nuclear reactors to nuclear power Bomber engine high power density.
In 1946, the USAF led the ARE project in hopes of developing a nuclear-powered bomber, but in the end, the rapid development of intercontinental missiles left the nuclear-powered bombers with no military value. When the nuclear-powered aircraft project ended in 1961, the molten salt reactor lost its military In 1965, Oak Ridge Laboratory built a thorium-based molten salt reactor (MSR) on an ARE-based basis and has been operating for five years.
However, it did not last long. Influenced by the 'Cold War', the AEC suddenly cut back R & D funding for the molten salt reactor after the molten salt reactor reached a mature stage of development in the early 1970s. As a result, its performance was good, its design was clever, The improper molten halt halted. In 1976, the molten salt reactor plan was halted by the Nixon administration.
The United States Oak Ridge National Laboratory aircraft reactor test building, later it was molten salt reactor test and reconstruction.
In addition, the South China Morning Post said that the U.S. project was shelved in the 1970s because researchers encountered problems in trying to reduce the size and weight of reactors, and the public is worried about the potential safety hazard of using this technology on aircraft Another problem is that the hot salt used in the fission process causes corrosion in the pipes and the nuclear reactor.
Russia's Satellite News Agency also said that the use of molten salt as a coolant is more damaging and can cause rapid damage to reactor components, and the lack of corresponding structural materials is a major hurdle today, of course, and the complications involved in preparing the fuel for such devices are complex.
However, once the breakthrough of this type of reactor is reported, it will open new opportunities for China in the development of national nuclear energy or may be built into energy installations for ships, spaceflight equipment and even aircraft.
