Design of World's first Thorium based nuclear reactor is ready

[Marlin]

Design of World's first Thorium based nuclear reactor is ready

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/worlds-first-thorium-based-nuclear-reactor-barc/1/343569.html

[BuddyThePug]

I like the line after the plant diagram

"The AHWR is a unit that will be fueled by a mix of uranium-233 and plutonium - which will be converted from thorium by previously deployed and domestically designed fast breeder reactors."

That would require reprocessing, which we don't have here in the US. Looks like thorium will be a no-go, or at least we will still be tied to the current fuel enrichment cycle in parallel with thorium, negating the cost savings. 

[Rennhack]

I like the line after the plant diagram

"The AHWR is a unit that will be fueled by a mix of uranium-233 and plutonium - which will be converted from thorium by previously deployed and domestically designed fast breeder reactors."

That would require reprocessing, which we don't have here in the US. Looks like thorium will be a no-go, or at least we will still be tied to the current fuel enrichment cycle in parallel with thorium, negating the cost savings. 

I read that as well, so it's NOT a Thorium reactor, it's a Uranium and Plutonium reactor... we have those already, nothing new.  Let me repeat that, NOTHING NEW.

[Chimera]

I thought Shippingport's last Thorium-converter core was the first "Thorium based" reactor.

[Marlin]

I like the line after the plant diagram

"The AHWR is a unit that will be fueled by a mix of uranium-233 and plutonium - which will be converted from thorium by previously deployed and domestically designed fast breeder reactors."

That would require reprocessing, which we don't have here in the US. Looks like thorium will be a no-go, or at least we will still be tied to the current fuel enrichment cycle in parallel with thorium, negating the cost savings.  

I read that as well, so it's NOT a Thorium reactor, it's a Uranium and Plutonium reactor... we have those already, nothing new.  Let me repeat that, NOTHING NEW.

Thorium is the primary fuel accounting for 65% of the power produced the article seems to be a little misleading.

2.3. Reactor core and fuel design

The core consists of total 513 lattice locations arranged in square pitch of 225 mm. There are
452 coolant channel assemblies, 8 absorber rods, 8 regulating rods, 8 shim rods and 37 shut
off rods in the core.
The circular fuel cluster of AHWR (Figure 3) contains thirty (Th,233U) MOX pins and twentyfour
(Th, Pu) MOX pins, along with a displacer rod at the centre. The inner ring of 12 pins has
a 233U content of 3.0% by weight and the middle ring of 18 pins has 3.75% 233U. The outer
ring of (Th,Pu)MOX pins have average of 3.25% Pu. The lower half of the active fuel will
have 4.0 % Pu and the upper part will have 2.5 % Pu.

2.11. Examples of energy systems with NPPs of this kind, if any

There are no similar plants. This reactor is of newer design and is of innovative type as per the
definition of IAEA. However, similarities exist vis a vis BWR/PHWR are moderator system,
direct steam system, cooling systems for end shields & calandria vault, etc.

http://www.iaea.org/NuclearPower/Downloadable/aris/2013/AHWR.pdf