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submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by WayeeCool@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

Here the KUN-24AP container ship would be a massive departure with its molten salt reactor. Despite this seemingly odd choice, there are a number of reasons for this, including the inherent safety of an MSR, the ability to refuel continuously without shutting down the reactor, and a high burn-up rate, which means very little waste to be filtered out of the molten salt fuel. The roots for the ship’s reactor would appear to be found in China’s TMSR-LF program, with the TMSR-LF1 reactor having received its operating permit earlier in 2023. This is a fast neutron breeder, meaning that it can breed U-233 from thorium (Th-232) via neutron capture, allowing it to primarily run on much cheaper thorium rather than uranium fuel.

An additional benefit is the fuel and waste from such reactors is useless for nuclear weapons.

Another article with interviews: https://gcaptain.com/nuclear-powered-24000-teu-containership-china/

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[-] oregoncom@hexbear.net 41 points 8 months ago

Typical of bazinga brains to mald in the comments about any Chinese advancement.

[-] WayeeCool@hexbear.net 40 points 8 months ago

Yeah. Annoying because nuclear powered container ships are the only realistic way to decarbonize transoceanic shipping. When you do the math, the biofuel and e-fuel plans western shipping firms have all presented are obviously not feasible. There isn't enough farmland on earth to produce enough feedstock for the required amount of biofuel and with e-fuels the economics don't work out due to how much electricity is needed per liter of fuel synthesized.

[-] Frank@hexbear.net 19 points 8 months ago

I still want to see gigantic windjammers.

[-] Infamousblt@hexbear.net 19 points 8 months ago

Got some of them in this thread too, the typical ignorant NUCULURR BAD folks who know literally nothing about power generation at all

[-] MF_COOM@hexbear.net 7 points 8 months ago

Where are you finding the comments?

[-] oregoncom@hexbear.net 16 points 8 months ago

just scroll down. Hackaday in particular has been the way it is for a really long time.

[-] MF_COOM@hexbear.net 11 points 8 months ago

Oh I only clicked the link OP provided in the comments, I see now

this post was submitted on 28 Dec 2023
117 points (100.0% liked)

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