China's fourth-generation nuclear fission reactor - the thorium molten salt reactor has been officially completed and achieved thorium-uranium conversion, becoming the world's only operating molten salt reactor, as well as the only nuclear reactor built in the Gobi Desert in China.

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Using thorium, which is abundant in China, as nuclear fuel is not science fiction, but a reality that is happening. According to the official announcement from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the thorium molten salt reactor located in Minqin, Gansu, has been officially completed and achieved thorium-uranium conversion. It is not only the world's only operating molten salt reactor, but also the only nuclear reactor currently built in the Gobi Desert in China. As a core representative of the fourth-generation nuclear fission reactor technology, it has made a leap in safety performance and energy efficiency, and is expected to solve the problem of long-term reliance on imported nuclear fuel in China, allowing China to firmly take the lead in global molten salt reactor nuclear energy technology. What are the revolutionary technological breakthroughs achieved by this "nuclear power miracle" born in the Gobi?

For a long time, the "lack of uranium resources" has been like a tight-fitting cap, restricting the development of China's nuclear energy industry. The emergence of the thorium molten salt reactor has provided China with a key opportunity for "overtaking on a new track" - it breaks the dependence on uranium fuel in traditional nuclear power, using China's abundant thorium as nuclear fuel.

However, there is a technical key point here: Thorium itself cannot directly undergo fission. How can it generate energy? Bombarding thorium atomic nuclei with neutrons to convert them into highly fissile uranium-233 is akin to "turning stones into gold" in the field of nuclear energy. Moreover, China has abundant thorium reserves, truly realizing "having mineral resources at home, no need to worry about energy." More economically valuable is that the thorium deposits already explored in China are mostly by-products of rare earth mining, equivalent to "getting thorium resources as a gift when mining rare earths," which not only greatly reduces the cost of obtaining nuclear fuel, but also takes advantage of the value-added utilization of rare earth mining, achieving two benefits at once.

In addition to the revolutionary breakthrough in fuel sources, the thorium molten salt reactor has also brought surprises in terms of safety and site flexibility. Traditional nuclear power plants are indeed "water guzzlers". A 1000-megawatt conventional nuclear power unit consumes thousands of tons of cooling water per hour to remove the huge heat generated by the reactor core. This is like cooking dumplings at home; if the pot lacks water, the dumplings will burn. If a nuclear power plant "runs out of water", the core may face the risk of melting due to overheating.

But the thorium molten salt reactor is like a desert explorer who carries his own "provisions", because its inherent safety completely overturns this "life support system". It uses high-temperature molten salt, which can remain in a stable liquid state at temperatures of 600-700°C, making it a perfect "heat carrier". During operation, it does not require external water supply, relying only on the natural circulation of the molten salt in a closed loop to continuously remove the heat generated by the reactor core, fundamentally eliminating the safety hazards caused by cooling failure.

Because of this "thirstless" cooling system, the thorium molten salt reactor has freed itself from the site restrictions of traditional nuclear power, and is expected to move towards a broader horizon. It doesn't need to "live by the sea" like traditional nuclear power plants, so it can be boldly built in the desert of Minqin, Gansu. From now on, nuclear power is no longer limited to coastal areas and is expected to penetrate deep into the vast inland, relying on China's rich thorium resources to provide clean and stable energy for more regions, lighting up the future lights of millions of homes.

Source: CCTV News

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7567551556141335091/

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