Why do we not use thorium reactors?

Why do we not use thorium reactors?

Thorium has no isotopes that readily fission to produce energy. So thorium is not usable as a fuel directly, but is instead a fertile nucleus that can be converted to uranium in a reactor. Only after conversion to uranium does thorium become useful as a nuclear fuel.

Are CANDU reactors still being built?

Almost half of CANDU reactors have been built in Argentina, China, India, Pakistan, Romania and South Korea. There are 34 CANDU reactors globally, 30 of which are operable.

Are CANDU reactors the best?

That’s why it’s safer. And using natural uranium, the Candu is about twice as efficient as reactors using enriched uranium. The Candu also can use a new and easier-to-handle fuel, thorium, a non-fissile material that’s less dangerous to handle than natural uranium and even more abundant.

What happened to CANDU reactors?

Of the 29 commercial CANDU reactors built, 22 are in Ontario. Of these 22, a number of reactors have been removed from service. Two new CANDU reactors have been proposed for Darlington with Canadian government help with financing, but these plans ended in 2009 due to high costs.

Has Candu reactor ever failed?

The CANDU and its prototypes have experienced some of the world’s most serious accidents: It was the largest tritium release in CANDU history, causing the shutdown of a nearby water supply plant. In December 1994, a valve failure at Pickering Reactor #2 led to 140 tonnes of heavy water being dumped out of the reactor.

Are CANDU reactors safer?

Safety Features of CANDU Reactors One witness described it as the safest nuclear technology in the world. No serious injury or death to workers or the public has been recorded in more than 30 years of operation of CANDU reactors in Canada.

How are CANDU reactors different?

The reactor configuration of a CANDU differs from other typical reactors, as fuel bundles are arranged horizontally rather than vertically, and are placed inside pressure tubes within a vessel (called the calandria).

Has Candu reactor ever melted down?

Core meltdown accidents of the type to be described here have never occurred in any commercial power reactor, although the sequence of events at Three Mile Island went partway along the path.

Can Candu reactors meltdown?

Yes. All CANDU reactors have a design flaw that contributed to the explosion of the Chernobyl reactor, which in turn led to the depopulation of a 30km area around the reactor.

What is the difference between a CANDU reactor and light water reactor?

A Candu reactor is also more expensive to construct than the equivalent light water reactor.

Which countries use CANDU nuclear reactors?

All Canadian nuclear reactors are of the CANDU type but the reactor has also been marketed abroad – until October 2011 AECL marketed and built 34 CANDU facilities worldwide: Canada (22), Argentina (1), Romania (2), South Korea (4), China (2), Pakistan (1) and India (2).

What happens when a CANDU reactor loses coolant?

In the CANDU reactor, a well-known design problem means that a loss of coolant inherently causes an increase in the power level, and heat output, of the nuclear fuel, placing enormous pressure on the reactor’s emergency shutdown systems.

How does the CANDU design differ from other nuclear weapons?

Where the CANDU design differs is in the details of the fissile core and the primary cooling loop. Natural uranium consists of a mix of mostly uranium-238 with small amounts of uranium-235 and trace amounts of other isotopes.