What Is Thorium Fuel Cycle

The fertile material in the thorium fuel cycle is an isotope of thorium called 232Th, and the thorium fuel cycle itself is a kind of nuclear fuel cycle. Within the reactor, 232Th is converted into the fissile artificial uranium isotope 233U, which is then used as the fuel for the nuclear reactor. Natural thorium, in contrast to natural uranium, only contains minute quantities of fissile material, which is insufficient to kick off a nuclear chain reaction. In order to kickstart the fuel cycle, either more fissile material or an other neutron source is required. 233U is created when 232Th, which is powered by thorium, absorbs neutrons in a reactor. This is analogous to the process that occurs in uranium breeder reactors, in which fertile 238U is subjected to neutron absorption in order to produce fissile 239Pu. The produced 233U either fissions in situ or is chemically removed from the old nuclear fuel and converted into new nuclear fuel, depending on the architecture of the reactor and the fuel cycle. Fissioning in situ is the more efficient method.

How You Will Benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Thorium fuel cycle

Chapter 2: Nuclear reactor

Chapter 3: Radioactive waste

Chapter 4: Fissile material

Chapter 5: Nuclear fuel cycle

Chapter 6: MOX fuel

Chapter 7: Breeder reactor

Chapter 8: Uranium-238

Chapter 9: Energy amplifier

Chapter 10: Subcritical reactor

Chapter 11: Integral fast reactor

Chapter 12: Fertile material

Chapter 13: Uranium-233

Chapter 14: Plutonium-239

Chapter 15: Isotopes of uranium

Chapter 16: Isotopes of plutonium

Chapter 17: Weapons-grade nuclear material

Chapter 18: Uranium-236

Chapter 19: Burnup

Chapter 20: Liquid fluoride thorium reactor

Chapter 21: Nuclear transmutation

(II) Answering the public top questions about thorium fuel cycle.

(III) Real world examples for the usage of thorium fuel cycle in many fields.

(IV) 17 appendices to explain, briefly, 266 emerging technologies in each industry to have 360-degree full understanding of thorium fuel cycle' technologies.

Who This Book Is For

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of thorium fuel cycle.