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A sample of thorium. The thorium fuel cycle is a nuclear fuel cycle that uses an isotope of thorium, 232 Th, as the fertile material. In the reactor, 232 Th is transmuted into the fissile artificial uranium isotope 233 U which is the nuclear fuel. Unlike natural uranium, natural thorium contains only trace amounts of fissile material (such as ...
A sample of thorium. Thorium-based nuclear power generation is fueled primarily by the nuclear fission of the isotope uranium-233 produced from the fertile element thorium.A thorium fuel cycle can offer several potential advantages over a uranium fuel cycle [Note 1] —including the much greater abundance of thorium found on Earth, superior physical and nuclear fuel properties, and reduced ...
Direct cycle nuclear engines resemble a conventional jet engine without combustion chambers. The air gained from the compressor section is sent to a plenum that directs the air into the nuclear reactor core. An exchange takes place where the reactor is cooled, but it then heats up the same air and sends it to another plenum. The second plenum ...
When 233 U undergoes nuclear fission, the neutrons emitted can strike further 232 Th nuclei, continuing the cycle. [38] This parallels the uranium fuel cycle in fast breeder reactors where 238 U undergoes neutron capture to become 239 U, beta decaying to first 239 Np and then fissile 239 Pu. [163] The fission of 233 92 U produces 2.48 neutrons ...
The idea of using nuclear material for propulsion dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. In 1903 it was hypothesized that radioactive material, radium, might be a suitable fuel for engines to propel cars, planes, and boats. [2] H. G. Wells picked up this idea in his 1914 fiction work The World Set Free. [3]
In the thorium fuel cycle thorium-232 absorbs a neutron in either a fast or thermal reactor. The thorium-233 beta decays to protactinium-233 and then to uranium-233, which in turn is used as fuel. Hence, like uranium-238, thorium-232 is a fertile material.
Thermal reactors typically employ a moderator (usually graphite) to slow the neutrons down and moderate temperature. They can accept a variety of fuels (low-enriched uranium, thorium, depleted uranium, waste products) [23] and coolants (fluoride, chloride, lithium, beryllium, mixed). Fuel cycle can be either closed or once-through. [24]
The reactor was never actually connected to the engines. [1] The program was canceled in 1958. A nuclear-powered aircraft is a concept for an aircraft intended to be powered by nuclear energy. The intention was to produce a jet engine that would heat compressed air with heat from fission, instead of heat from burning fuel. [1]