THORIUM BASED NUCLEAR POWER PRODUCTION

Introduction
Thorium & Uranium have a million times the energy density of coal. Thorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Uranium reserves in India pertaining are estimated to be about 95,000 tonnes of metal. Thorium reserves (monazite ore) in India are about 8 million tonnes

(containing about 0.63 million tonnes of thorium metal) occurring in beach and
river sands. Mined thorium is retrieved as a single isotope, thorium-232. No isotope separation nor enrichment process is needed. The known reserves of uranium in the country can support about 10 GWe of installed electricity capacity based on PHWRs for a life-time of 40 years at 80% capacity factor.

CLASSIFICATION BY TYPE OF NUCLEAR REACTION

Nuclear Fission is a nuclear reaction or a radioactive decay process in which

the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts (lighter nuclei), often
producing free neutrons and photons (in the form of gamma rays), and releasing a very large amount of energy, even by the energetic standards of

radioactive decay.

Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. During this process, matter is not conserved because some of the mass of the fusing nuclei is converted to energy which is released.

Principle
Although not fissile itself, Th-232 will absorb slow neutrons to produce

uranium-233 (U-233), which is fissile (and long-lived).

Fissile materials consist of heavy nuclei (actinide isotopes) that can undergo ssion by absorption of neutrons of any energy, including thermal neutrons. The ssile actinide isotopes are those with an odd number of neutrons. Main examples are uranium 233, uranium 235, plutonium 239, and plutonium 241. U-233 is better than uranium-235 and plutonium-239, because of its higher neutron yield per neutron absorbed.

The driver fuels (U-233, U-235 or Pu-239) provide all the neutrons initially,
but are progressively supplemented by U-233 as it forms from the thorium.

U-233 can be bred from thorium in a blanket, the U-233 separated, and then

fed into the core.

Thorium Energy Fuel Cycle

Nuclear reactions with thorium

In the thorium cycle, fuel is formed when 232-Th captures

a neutron (whether in a fast reactor or thermal reactor) to

become 233-Th. This normally emits an electron and an anti-neutrino () by decay to become 233-Pa. This then emits another electron and anti-neutrino by a

second decay to become 233-U, the fuel to drive the

nuclear reactor:
232 90Th + n + 233 90 Th + 233

Pa + 23392U 90

Nuclear Reactor

Thermal Breeder Reactor

Fast Breeder Reactor or FBR

Liquid Metal cooled Fast Breeder Reactor

Molten Salt Reactor

Light Water Reactor

Pressurized Water Reactor

Boiling Water Reactor

Supercritical Water Reactor

Fission product wastes

Actinide wastes
The chance of fissioning on absorption of a thermal neutron is about 92%; the capture-to-fission ratio of 233-U is about 1:10 which is better than the corresponding capture vs. fission ratios of 235-U (about 1:6), or 239-Pu (about 1:2), or 241-Pu (about 1:4).The result is shorter-lived transuranic waste than in a reactor using the uranium-plutonium fuel cycle. The 231-Pa (with a half-life of 3.27104 yr) formed via (n, 2n) reactions with 232-Th (yielding 231-Th that decays to 231-Pa), while not a transuranic waste, is a major contributor to the long term radiotoxicity of spent nuclear fuel.

Fission product wastes

Uranium-232 contamination
Uranium-232 is also formed in this process, via (n, 2n) reactions between fast neutrons and 233-U, 233-Pa, and 232-Th:

U-232 has a relatively short half-life (68.9 yr), and some decay products emit high energy gamma radiation, such as 224-Rn, 212-Bi and particularly 208-Tl. It can damage electronics, limiting their use in military bomb triggers and also create a radiological hazard which requires remote handling during reprocessing

Benefits of Thorium
1. Abundance of Thorium. 2. Existence of Thorium as single isotope.

3. Thorium-based fuels display favorable physical and chemical properties

which improve reactor and repository performance. 4. Less risk for proliferation. 5. Very low greenhouse gas emissions. 6. Thorium produces 10 to 10,000 times less long-lived radioactive waste. 7. Thorium cannot sustain a nuclear chain reaction without priming. 8. Fertile conversion of thorium is more efficient in a thermal reactor.

Disadvantages of Thorium
1. Complication of fuel fabrications.

2. Nuclear plants are more expensive to build and maintain.

3. Thorium fuels initially more expensive than uranium fuels. 4. Thorium fuel cycle is comparatively takes long interval over which 232-Th breeds to 233-U. 5. Some long-lived actinide products constitute a long term

radiological impact, especially 231-Pa.

6. Nuclear power plants can be dangerous to its surroundings and employees.

ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN INDIA

India has an electricity supply problem.

India needs electricity to grow.

India is running out of fossil reserves. Nuclear economics benefit a growing country. Low cost-fuel is imported.

Commercial nuclear power station

Nuclear power is the 4th source of electricity in India after thermal, hydroelectric

and renewable sources of electricity.

India's Kakrapar-1 reactor is the world's first reactor which uses thorium as the reactor core. India, which has about 25% of the world's thorium reserves, is developing a 300 MW prototype of a thorium-based Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) which is expected to be fully operational by 2013. India's new thorium reactor is a fast-breeder reactor and uses a plutonium core rather than an accelerator to produce neutrons which can operate at subcriticality but this would require more research. India currently envisages meeting 30% of its electricity demand through thorium-

based reactors by 2050.

Conclusion
Inexorably rising consumption of fossil fuels and related greenhouse-gas emissions threaten our energy security and risk changing the global climate irreversibly. Nuclear is mature, relatively clean, and the best alternative to coal. In terms of displacing coal power plants, nuclear is the best viable alternative that is ready to be deployed on such a large scale.

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