Raytheon explores thorium for next generation nuclear reactor

Journal Article · Tue Mar 08 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Energy Daily; (United States)

OSTI ID:7190059

Crawford, M

Few new orders for nuclear power plants have been placed anywhere in the world in the last 20 years, but that is not discouraging Raytheon Engineers Constructors from making plans to explore new light water reactor technologies for commercial markets. The Lexington, Mass.-based company, which has extensive experience in nuclear power engineering and construction, has a vision for the light water reactor of the future - one that is based on the use of thorium-232, an element that decays over several steps to uranium-233. The use of thorium and a small amount of uranium that is 20 percent enriched is seen as providing operational, environmental, and safety advantages over reactors using the standard fuel mixture of uranium-238 and enriched uranium-235. According to Raytheon, the system could improve the economics of some reactors' operations by reducing fuel costs and lowering related waste volumes. At the same time, reactor safety could be improved by simpler control rod systems and the absence from reactor coolant of corrosive boric acid, which is used to slow neutrons in order to enhance reactions. Using thorium is also attractive because more of the fuel is burned up by the reactor, an estimated 12 percent as compared to about 4 percent for U-235. However, the technology's greatest attraction may well be its implications for nuclear proliferation. Growing plutonium inventories embedded in spent fuel rods from light water reactors have sparked concern worldwide. But according to Raytheon, using a thorium-based fuel core would alleviate this concern because it would produce only small quantities of plutonium. A thorium-based fuel system would produce 12 kilograms of plutonium over a decade versus 2,235 kilograms for an equivalent reactor operating with conventional uranium fuel.

• OSTI ID: 7190059
• Journal Information: Energy Daily; (United States), Journal Name: Energy Daily; (United States) Vol. 22:44; ISSN 0364-5274; ISSN ENDADJ
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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