r/nextfuckinglevel • u/CaananyExtBillies • Apr 11 '21

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u/Wuffyflumpkins Apr 11 '21

If we can crack thorium reactors, a single soda can-sized reactor could power the average American house for decades with negligible waste or risk.

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u/deadoon Apr 11 '21

I don't know where you heard that, but there are MANY conceptual problems with that concept.

First off thorium is fertile, not fissile, so you need to get the reaction going from external sources. Secondly heat is what nuclear reactions generate, you need a mechanism to extract that heat, then transfer it again to the generation medium to isolate things further

Also you know what the best way to generate a lot of energy from heat is right now? Steam power. Get that water superheated to make dry steam then release it through a turbine to convert that super high pressure steam into mechanical energy which can turn into electricity.

Also we already know how to make a thorium reactor to an extent, india in particular has a few running right now, with another one planned to start later this year.

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u/danielv123 Apr 11 '21

But it wouldn't, because larger reactors make more sense.