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India designs World's first Thorium based Nuclear Reactor

Now you are talking in the sensible way, Pls avoid releasing O2 in moon type statement away.
Thorium could be the fuel for the lunar base for LFTR thorium reactor. But it is already abundant on the earth,
Few of my points are
  • Sudden Moon love to various countries arises due to the Helium and rare metals
  • India is not only the one who is doing research on the thorium based reactors, infact Chinese are also very interested in that
  • India have fast reserve of thorium in its shores, that is capable of providing power for 100 years
  • Lunar mining could be possible, in future when it become more fessibile, but right now NO.
  • Hydrogen and geo thermal energy is the key to the unlimited source of energy on earth

When I was young during the discussion with my friends I propose a train to the Moon, and every one laugh on me. Actually with the train I was referring to the long Maglev track build underground in the mountains, and in the end a long tube in which vaccum is created which is higher as much as possible say 10,000 feet supported by Iron strings, which could Sling Shots the Robotic controlled transportation vehicle accross the gravitational barrier with the escape velocity of 11.2km/s that could take the material from earth to Moon, which could be our intermediate base for the space exploration journey. Well it looks fantasy, but pretty much possible.

@Nilgiri @MilSpec @nForce @PARIKRAMA @Abingdonboy @Blue Marlin What is your take in such idea for transporting the material, That would require 100 of KM of vast free space, say some lone Island of Andaman and nicobar Island, in which a big Mountain is there, where a thorium based reactor would power the whole Maglev track, which is a tube where vaccum could be created, and a vehicle which could move in that tube in circle, to achieve such velocity and then released like a sling shot to escape the gravitational barrier of earth, and later journey thru small booster rockets. The landing on the moon thru baloon and booster rocket to slow down the speed.

11.2 km/s (Mach 34) at ambient atmospheric pressure (once released from such a maglev system) would generate frictional heating of more than 15,000 Kelvin or about 3 times the surface temperature of the sun.

This may be a slight problem for the cargo container :D

The capacitor storage/drainage requirements for such a system would be immense as well.
 
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11.2 km/s (Mach 34) at ambient atmospheric pressure (once released from such a maglev system) would generate frictional heating of more than 15,000 Kelvin or about 3 times the surface temperature of the sun.

This may be a slight problem for the cargo container :D

The capacitor storage/drainage requirements for such a system would be immense as well.
What if the End tube could be raised up to 20,000 feet above the sea level, where air density is very less. How did you calculate the heat generated, when I haven't given the surface area of the cargo container, which will be shaped like the dart.
 
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11.2 km/s (Mach 34) at ambient atmospheric pressure (once released from such a maglev system) would generate frictional heating of more than 15,000 Kelvin or about 3 times the surface temperature of the sun.

This may be a slight problem for the cargo container :D

The capacitor storage/drainage requirements for such a system would be immense as well.

not sure how you got that without knowing the dimensions of the container. the shape as well as angle of exit would affect heat generation from air friction/compression greatly.
 
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What if the End tube could be raised up to 20,000 feet above the sea level,

For reference, 10k feet is about 70% sea level pressure. 20,000 feet is about 50% sea level pressure.

Unfortunately the actual pressure has very little to do with the heating...since its the specific heat ratio that governs the stagnation temperature for a moving body in an ideal gas. We would have to do an integral summation to calculate the total heat load over the entire journey but I am pretty sure the design of a significant heat shield would be quite complicated and make this endeavour quite challenging to say the least.

How did you calculate the heat generated

Worst case scenario stagnation temperature ( adiabatic, ideal incompressible gas). Adiabatic is a good assumption here given the speed we are talking about. The stag temp attachment and characteristics would govern the heat transfer to the body itself (which you have described here as a "dart" as opposed to a blunt body)...but from my CFD experience, compressibility and streamlining will not alter the heating all that much when we are talking about such phenomenal speeds and aerodynamic impulse loadings.

Stagnation temperature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

not sure how you got that without knowing the dimensions of the container. the shape as well as angle of exit would affect heat generation from air friction/compression greatly.

Worst case scenario. Everything else will be a fractional coefficient of it.
 
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Sir, what is current status of the reactor?

Actually the plan has changed - the 500 MWe reactor has been changed to a 600 MWe one and is known as FBR-600 or Commercial Fast Breeder Reactor [CFBR]. The changes are depicted in the schematics given below.

The predecessor to this reactor (CFBR), the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is set to go critical, soon. It is, currently, undergoing commissioning, under AERB.

Applying the knowledge & experience gained from the PFBR programme, IGCAR is proceeding with R&D of its successor - generically referred to as, either, the FBR-600 or Commercial Fast Breeder Reactor [CFBR]. Current plans involve building 6 Units, co-locating 2 at any given place.

The September 2015 issue of the Indian Academy of Sciences' 'Pramana' carries details of the CFBR.

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CFBR Schematic as released in December 2013

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If all goes as per plan then the 1st such twin Unit would attain criticality around 2024, so that it "can be commercially exploited beyond 2030 towards realizing significant contributions targeted from nuclear option.".

Interestingly, this IGCAR plan for a 600 MWe successor design appears to be a circa 2015 development. Prior to 2014, plans only involved building 500 MWe CFBRs. In 2014, one began seeing information of a 600 MWe Reactor, as a possible improved alternative to the 500 MWe design. Starting 2015, however, it appears IGCAR zeroed-in on the sole pursuance of development of FBR-600.

December 2013, when IGCAR released a pre-qualification document for, "Manufacture, Integration, Inspection, Testing, Packing, Transportation and Supply of Integrated Reactor Assembly of Permanent Components", it shared fabrication drawings of a 500 MWe design. It was also, perhaps, for the 1st time that it released clear schematic drawing of the CFBR. The OP is based on the same.

In a significant development, the foundation for India's first fast reactor fuel reprocessing plant to be built at a cost of Rs 9,600 crore is expected to be laid at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu. FRFCF will be the first of its kind plant dedicated solely to reprocessing fast reactor fuels to cater to a commercial-sized reactor.
India to get first fast reactor fuel reprocessing plant in TN for Rs 9,600 crore - timesofindia-economictimes
 
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