Thorium Based Indian Nuclear Programme

[Tija]

We need to make less radioactive Thorium bomb and integrate it with pdv to make it intercept dozens of missiles.

 

[tvsram1992]

loll didnt make any sense to me??

Seriously why not? There are already nuclear capable SAM's to counter the below situation . Consider a shower of missiles with nukes and decoys heading towards India in a nuclear threat scenario then we (Even US) cant shoot them with existing BMD . Already thats proposed long ago . After all such weapons are 100% better than short range tactical Nukes to prevent nuclear attack.

 

[shiv]

loll didnt make any sense to me??

Instead of directional warheads currently being employed in our PDVs, a thorium based explosive will have much larger kill radius owing to its high yield and also have very less radioactive fallout. Also, the weapon will be extremely light and the delivery vehicle can be made highly maneuverable. I highly doubt it though...

 

[sherindian]

Seriously why not? There are already nuclear capable SAM's to counter the below situation . Consider a shower of missiles with nukes and decoys heading towards India in a nuclear threat scenario then we (Even US) cant shoot them with existing BMD . Already thats proposed long ago . After all such weapons are 100% better than short range tactical Nukes to prevent nuclear attack.

well no country has used thorium in missiles. pdv can already intercept multiple missiles and destroy them. soon to be tested. anyways if we can destroy a missile why should we waste our thorium or uranium. let the missile do the job.

 

[shiv]

well no country has used thorium in missiles. pdv can already intercept multiple missiles and destroy them. soon to be tested. anyways if we can destroy a missile why should we waste our thorium or uranium. let the missile do the job.

The increased yields from thorium based explosives will have larger kill radius and moreover the less mass required will help in improving the maneuverability of the missiles.

 

[tvsram1992]

well no country has used thorium in missiles. pdv can already intercept multiple missiles and destroy them. soon to be tested. anyways if we can destroy a missile why should we waste our thorium or uranium. let the missile do the job.

lolz...
Even the currently available best Missile defence system cant intercept shower of missiles with multiple warheads and decoys . If we have a nuclear threat and we see many incoming missiles we can use Thorium based defence systems .
Remember US already made N-Capable Sams to destroy squadrons of incoming aircrafts with nuclear war heads . Russians also made such weapons to intercept missiles in exo atmosphere by nukes ,but those ideas were not effective because of Radio active fall out . But still they have Nuclear SAM option as Radio active fallout is better than nuke blasting on you . But this option will only be used only incase of nuclear threat ie when nuclear attack is confirmed by reliable sources . Remember our Aakash also can carry nuclear Warheads .
Thorium based weapons if made can prove to be less radio active and hence it can be implemented practically if every thing goes fine .

 

[saurabh]

Thorium based weapons if made can prove to be less radio active and hence it can be implemented practically if every thing goes fine .

One of the most attractive point of thorium is that it cannot sustain chain reaction, and thus unlikely to be used in a warhead!

 

[tvsram1992]

One of the most attractive point of thorium is that it cannot sustain chain reaction, and thus unlikely to be used in a warhead!

What if we destabilize the nucleus by injecting any uncharged particle ? Before making Uranium Bomb did any one expect such a huge explosion could happen? The only basis was Mass to energy conversion relation , out of no of tests Uranium and some other reactions proved to be successful and now they are used in war heads and reactors, we cant exactly predict the nuclear reactions though we use super computers or nuclear reaction simulators .

 

[tvsram1992]

And the point in making such weapons is not to reduce the impact of Bomb( i repeat the purpose of bomb is to destruction only so use the bomb for destruction , but dont make it dirty bomb ), it is to reduce radio active fall out and decrease long term effects like inherited diseases, cancer, impotency, death after two days to two weeks because of radiation etc. You know Thorium is less radio active than Uranium . Thus you can reduce the radiation effect caused by unused fuel . Remember most of the fuel goes unused in a nuclear blast .

 

[saurabh]

What if we destabilize the nucleus by injecting any uncharged particle ? Before making Uranium Bomb did any one expect such a huge explosion could happen? The only basis was Mass to energy conversion relation , out of no of tests Uranium and some other reactions proved to be successful and now they are used in war heads and reactors, we cant exactly predict the nuclear reactions though we use super computers or nuclear reaction simulators .

We know about it enough to make a reactor! U/Pu support chain reaction, Th doesnt. Period. It is their property. If in distant future we succeed in making it do so, it is different matter. Not in forseeable future.

 

[shiv]

Thorium != BOMB

Thorium Based Nuclear power plant == Nuclear power.

I have highlighted it several times, the more we build thorium based power plants, the more resources we get for Plutonium and hydrogen bombs.

The breeder technology can be used to get Pu in almost pure form.
The advanced Heavy water based nuclear reactors will provide us with tonnes of Tritium needed for building a hydrogen bomb.

 

[tvsram1992]

U say as if that tech wont be developed . There were many genius told a bomb from Uranium cannot be made .

 

[Inqhilab]

Construction of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AWHR) 300 MWe by 2016-17

India is all set to take its first step in utlising its vast thorium resource in nuclear reactors for power generation as the Centre has decided to start the construction of its first 300 MW (megawatt) thorium reactor by 2016-17.

The construction of advanced heavy water reactor (AWHR) that will use thorium as fuel would be launched towards the end of the 12th Plan period, V Narayansamy, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

A design of AHWR incorporating several elements of indigenous pressurised heavy water reactor has been readied by a team at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai, led by R K Sinha, who took over as the new chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.

The 300 MW reactor might be located at Tarapur in Maharashtra or Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, sources in the atomic energy department (DAE) told Deccan Herald.
The reactor will require 52 tonnes of fuel in its core initially. As the subsequent annual fuel requirement is only 4.7 tonnes, India can sustain on its thorium reserve for hundreds of years.

Exploitation of thorium was conceived by Homi Bhabha in 1960s while framing India's three stage nuclear programme. The idea was to start with the limited amount of uranium available in the country and from outside, but eventually moving up to thorium.

The first thorium reactor would be a research project as several key technological issues were needed to be addressed before a thorium reactor was made commercial, said a DAE scientist. The lead time could be several decades.

As a fuel, thorium has certain advantages. It is a better quality fertile fuel, gives better performance in the reactor and offers less problem with storage and disposal.
On the flip side, there are serious problems related to corrosion of stainless steel vessels and pipes, radiation build up, higher cost in fuel cycle activity due to automated reprocessing and re-fabrication and separation of spent fuel solution to avoid long-term radiological impact. All of them posed major technological challenges, he explained.

The biggest plus point, however, is thorium's abundance in monazite-rich beach sands in Kerala and other states. India has an estimated 10.7 million tonnes of monazite sands (containing 8.4 lakh tonnes of thorium metal) occurring in beach and river sands in association with other heavy minerals.

Out of nearly 100 deposits of heavy minerals, at present only 17 deposits containing about four million tonnes of monazite have been identified as exploitable.

India all set to tap thorium resources

 

[The_magnificent]

xinix Consider me your fan . I am little drunk right now as it is friday eve. but bhai abhi hosh me hu

xinix n Dr.somnath became best thread openers on PDF

 

[RISING SUN]

India keen on thorium-based reactors
New Delhi: India is pursuing a research programme for developing thorium-based reactors for generation of power, parliament was informed Wednesday.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy told the Lok Sabha that thorium played a pivotal role in India's nuclear power programme.

"Right from the inception of (the) programme, work has been carried out on various aspects of thorium utilization-mining and extraction of thorium.

"In addition, studies have been carried out regarding use of thorium in different types of reactors," the minister said.
India keen on thorium-based reactors