Scientists UNVEILED This As The Future Of Energy: Molten Salt Reactors [Video]

Scientists UNVEILED This As The Future Of Energy: Molten Salt Reactors

Molten salt reactors, a type of nuclear reactor first investigated in the 1950s, have the potential to be the future of clean energy if we can overcome the challenges that have hampered their development for more than 50 years.

Nuclear fission happens when a neutron collides with the nucleus of an atom, splitting it. This produces a great amount of energy, as well as extra neutrons, which can subsequently split more atoms, resulting in a self-sustaining fission reaction.

Nuclear reactors regulate the fission process so that the energy generated as heat can be used to boil water and generate steam, which can spin electricity-generating turbines.

The process produces no carbon emissions and can occur regardless of whether the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, making nuclear energy a potentially crucial component of a clean energy future.

But nuclear power now accounts for only 10.3% of global electricity generation, and the number of reactors closing is surpassing the number of new ones installed.

Part of the reason for this is that it takes around 7 years and $10 billion to build a new nuclear plant similar to the ones we already have, and some potential operators are hesitant to make such a large investment, especially as electricity from natural gas and renewables becomes more affordable.

At the same time, many potential projects face opposition from a public anxious about the risk of a nuclear accident, such as Chernobyl or Fukushima, despite the fact that nuclear energy has traditionally been far safer than coal or natural gas.

To boost the amount of electricity generated by nuclear fission, we may need to reconsider how to use it.

Most modern nuclear reactors use high-pressure water to drive fuel pellets wrapped in metal rods to the reactor’s core, where they undergo fission. This raises the water’s temperature to around 600 degrees Fahrenheit, but the high pressure keeps it from boiling off.

The super-heated liquid water is then circulated through a chamber containing additional water. Its heat causes the water to boil, generating the steam required to power the turbines. The cooled water is then returned to the fuel chamber for reheating, allowing the cycle to continue.

The immense pressure required to retain super-hot water in liquid form increases the likelihood of a leak, and if water escapes, the fuel can overheat, melting the containment rods and potentially spilling radioactive material into the water and surroundings.

To counteract this, reactors require numerous backup systems and redundancies, which raises their cost and complexity.

This design, however, is not our only option.

In the 1950s, US researchers began investigating the notion of molten salt reactors, which use molten salt (salt that is solid at ambient temperature but liquid at high temperatures) instead of water as the substance transporting heat and keeping the fuel at a constant temperature.

The salt proposed for these reactors remains liquid at temperatures as high as 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, with no pressurization required. The increased temperature would boost the reactor’s efficiency and create more energy, but the lack of pressurization would lower the likelihood of a leak.
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