The Thorium Dream

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3. Thorium Reactors

http://www.etec.energy.gov/history/Major-Operations/AETR.html

[font face=Times, Serif][font size=5]Advanced Epithermal Thorium Reactor[/font]

[font size=3]The Advanced Epithermal Thorium Reactor (AETR) was housed in Building 4100. The AETR was used to study twenty different nuclear reactor core configurations by using an apparatus which supported a range of geometries

The tests conducted at the AETR measured the results of nuclear criticality which took place when key components were arranged in different ways. The tests conducted under low power conditions so researchers could easily study the experiments. Despite the word "Reactor" within the facility name, the tests did not produce a sustainable nuclear fission reaction and so the facility is more accurately described as a "critical" facility.

Early fuels used in the AETR were thorium or uranium; later tests with high-energy (fast) neutrons were conducted and the name was changed to the Fast Critical Experiment Laboratory (FCEL). The program was completed in 1974.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Point_Energy_Center#Unit_1

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Indian Point 1, built by Consolidated Edison, was the first of three reactors at this location. It was a 275-megawatt pressurized water reactor and was issued an operating license on March 26, 1962 and started operations on September 16, 1962. The first core at the Indian Point power station used a thorium-based fuel, but it did not live up to expectations. The plant was operated with uranium oxide fuel for the remainder of its operations.

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