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Solving Important Problems with Thorium Reactors Kirk Sorensen Flibe Energy March 2, 2016 Our industrial civilization expects reliable, affordable energy. The energies that bind the atomic nucleus (nuclear energy) are approximately two million times greater than the energies that bind the atomic electrons (chemical energy). Three Nuclear Options Possible Nuclear Fuels Natural Thorium Natural Uranium 100% thorium-232 99.3% uranium-238 0.7% uranium-235 Only a small fraction of natural uranium is fissile. Most uranium and all thorium is "fertile" and can be converted to fissile material through neutron absorption. Reducing Long-Lived Waste I Today’s approach to nuclear energy consumes only a small amount of the energy content of uranium while producing "transuranic" nuclides that complicate long-term waste disposal. I Using thorium/U-233 in a liquid-fueled reactor can more nearly approach the ideal of a fission-product-only waste stream that reaches the same radioactivity as uranium ore in 300 years. Today’s nuclear fuel is fabricated with extraordinary precision, like a fine watch. But it is that precision that makes it difficult to recycle and to refabricate. A new approach is needed that is more versatile and less expensive. Fluoride salts are safe and versatile Chemically stable in air and water Unpressurized liquid with 1000◦C range of temperature LiF-BeF2 fluoride salt is an excellent carrier for uranium (UF4) nuclear fuel. Liquid fuels enhance safety options The reactor is equipped with a "freeze plug"—an open line where a frozen plug of salt is blocking the flow. The plug is kept frozen by an external cooling fan. In the event of total loss of power, the freeze plug melts and the core salt drains into a passively cooled configuration where nuclear fission and meltdown are not possible. The US Nuclear Retirement "Cliff" The challenge will soon grow much worse. DOE sees Industry Leading Future Nuclear I "In the United States, it is the responsibility of industry to design, construct, and operate commercial nuclear power plants." (pg 22) I "It is ultimately industry’s decision which commercial technologies will be deployed. The federal role falls more squarely in the realm of R&D." (pg 16) I "The decision to deploy nuclear energy systems is made by industry and the private sector in market-based economies." (pg 45) Modular construction of nuclear reactors in a factory environment has become increasingly desirable to reduce uncertainties about costs and quality. Liquid-fluoride reactors, with their low-pressure reactor vessels, are particularly suitable to modular construction in a factory and delivery to a power generation site. Flibe Energy was formed in order to develop liquid-fluoride reactor technology and to supply the world with affordable and sustainable energy, water and fuel. Thorium Reactor Technology Historical Concepts Modern Designs Hardware Demonstrations Important materials for this project (thorium and beryllium) are found in Idaho and Utah. An abundance of advanced manufacturing opportunities exist for this technology. Development Principles Advanced nuclear has been attempted many times before and has not been commercialized. What makes this approach different? I Thorium reactors can produce inexpensive electricity essentially indefinitely, but I Any reactor technology, conventional or advanced, will find it difficult to offer attractive returns to risk investors at current electrical prices, so I Production of medicines from the reactor can pay for the considerable costs of development and will attract public support Development Strategy I 2016: Research reactor experiment (50 kWt) I test fuel and blanket salt samples I potentially extract medical isotopes I 2020: Research and test reactor (10 MWt) I extract and sell medical isotopes I 2024: Demonstration reactor (100 MWt) I 2027: Prototype utility reactor (1000 MWt) Efficient Generation of Medical Radioisotopes Using Thorium Molten-Salt Technology Kirk Sorensen Flibe Energy March 2, 2016 Use of Tc-99m simplifies medical diagnostics Medical procedures using Tc-99m Tc-99m, derived from Mo-99, dominates world medical radioisotope use. Xe-133 Tl-201 I-123 F-18 In-111 I-131 Tc-99m is predominantly used in cardiac scans, bone scans, and gall-bladder scans. This industry has a value of Tc-99m approximately $2 billion per annum. Examples of how Tc-99m is used for medical imaging Kit Name Imaging Procedure Technetium Tc-99m Medronate (MDP) Bone Scan Technetium Tc-99m Albumin Aggregated (MAA) Lung Perfusion Technetium Tc-99m Pentetate (DTPA) Kidney Scan and Function Technetium Tc-99m Sulfur Colloid Liver Scan Sentinel Lymph Node Localization Technetium Tc-99m Sestamibi Cardiac Perfusion Technetium Tc-99m Exametazime Brain Perfusion Technetium Tc-99m Mebrofenin Gall Bladder Function Technetium Tc-99m Etidronate Bone Scan Technetium Tc-99m Disofenin Gall Bladder Function Technetium Tc-99m Succimer (DMSA) Kidney Scan and Function Technetium Tc-99m Tetrofosmin Cardiac Perfusion Technetium Tc-99m Bicisate Brain Perfusion Technetium Tc-99m Red Blood Cell Blood Pool Imaging Technetium Tc-99m Sodium Pertechnetate Thyroid, Salivary Gland, Meckel’s Scan Technetium Tc-99m Lidofenin Gall Bladder Function Technetium Tc-99m Mertiatide (MAG3) Kidney Scan and Function Technetium Tc-99m Oxidronate (HDP) Bone Scan a MAA = methacrylic acid, MDP = methylene diphosphonate, DTPA = diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid, DMSA = dimercaptosuccinic acid, MAG3 = mercapto acetyl triglycine, HDP = hydroxymethylene diphosphonate. b Extracted from the Food and Drug Administration approved pharmaceutical list, 2008. Medical Isotope Use Production in Research Reactors Purification Packaging Injection into Rapid Results Patient Affordable Scanning Existing Mo-99 production reactors are old National Research Universal (NRU) High Flux Reactor (HFR), reactor, Chalk River, Ontario, Canada Petten, Netherlands started up with Sputnik (1957) started up with Yuri Gagarin (1961) Reactors and Mo-99 supply chains Research reactors producing molybdenum-99 exist around the world but the largest are in Netherlands and Canada, with the Canadian reactor shutting down in 2018. Large power reactors make vast amounts of Mo-99 ...which unfortunately due to high pressure is utterly inaccessible... operation and the use of solid nuclear fuel. Today’s Medical Isotope Production Approach Short exposure (~6 days) in research reactor Solid targets of highly-enriched uranium — expensive Complicated chemical — risky processing — supply cutoff — 97% wasted — residue causes international concern An Innovative Solution to the Problem Liquid thorium fluoride target loaded into reactor Liquid thorium fuel, flux, only desired isotope products removed. impervious to radiation damage, loaded in a graphite crucible as an isotope generator. Simplified chemical processing — no fuel wasted — no U or Pu Images courtesy NRG. Molybdenum-99 is a fairly common fission product About 5% of the fission reactions in uranium-233 generate molybdenum-99. Strontium-90 Molybdenum-99 Lanthanides Krypton Xenon Promethium- 147 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 101 103 105 107 109 111 113 115 117 119 121 123 125 127 129 131 133 135 137 139 141 143 145 147 149 151 153 155 Small MSR would produce globally-significant Mo99 Modeling parameters: I 10.5 kCi/d/MWt Mo99 generation rate I 2.0 MW (thermal) reactor I molybdenum removal efficiency of 90% I 3 day transport delay (pessimistic) I 713,000 6-day Ci/yr Mo99 production I 6-day Ci Mo99 price range: $225 - $1000 Financial results: I Mo99 revenue of $160 to $713M/yr Global implications: I 1.1x global Mo99 consumption in 2006 North American Competition for 99Mo Production 235 99 I U(n; f ) Mo in solid uranium targets (LEU or HEU) I NorthWest Medical Isotopes, Corvallis, Oregon I Coqui Pharmaceuticals, Coral Gables, Florida I Eden Radioisotopes, Albuquerque, New Mexico I General Atomics, San Diego, California 98 99 I Mo (n; γ) Mo in solid molybdenum targets I NorthStar Medical Isotopes, Madison, Wisconsin I GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Wilmington, North Carolina 3 4 I H(d; n) He in subcritical aqueous uranium solution I SHINE Medical Technologies, Monona, Wisconsin 100 − 99 I Mo (e ! γ; n) Mo in solid molybdenum target I NorthStar Medical Isotopes, Madison, Wisconsin 100 99m I Mo (p; 2n) Tc in solid molybdenum target I TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia Current Status and Accomplishments I Letter-of-intent with NRC for Mo99 production I Joined DOE Uranium Lease and Take-Back Program I Completed EPRI-funded study I Pending MOU with NRG (Netherlands reactor operator) I Key university research relationships being finalized Fighting Cancer with Alpha-Emitting Bismuth-213 Kirk Sorensen Flibe Energy March 2, 2016 Radiotherapy against cancer When a radionuclide emits an alpha particle, it packs a lot of energy and slows down quickly, killing cells within two cell diameters. This makes it very effective in fighting dispersed cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) I AML is a relatively rare cancer. I ~10,500 new cases each year in the US I stable incidence rate 1995-2005 I accounts for 1.2% of all cancer deaths in US I Incidence of AML increases with age I 63 is median age I 90% of all acute leukemias in adults, rare in children I male-to-female ratio of 4:3 I Complete remission is obtained in about 50-75% of newly diagnosed adults. I The length of remission depends on the prognostic features of the original leukemia. In general, all remissions will fail without additional consolidation therapy Nuclear Decay Chains,