Flibe Energy
Encyclopedia
Flibe Energy is a company that intends to design, construct and operate small modular reactors based on liquid fluoride thorium reactor
(LFTR) technology.
aerospace engineer and formerly Chief Nuclear Technologist at Teledyne Brown Engineering and Kirk Dorius, an intellectual property
attorney and mechanical engineer. The name "Flibe" comes from FLiBe
, a Fluoride
salt of Lithium
and Beryllium
, used in LFTRs. Flibe Energy Incorporated is registered in the State of Delaware
.
"The real challenge will be getting to the first unit." — Kirk Sorensen
Besides the safety aspect (mentioned above) of a LFTR operating at far less pressure than a typical nuclear reactor
, Sorensen expects it to reduce costs: "That obviates the need for 9 inch steel pressure vessels, and thick concrete containment structures. Everything gets smaller with Thorium and fluoride salts, and that provides a substantial economic benefit."
Sorensen expects that LFTR technology will "make power cheaper than coal"; he comments that this would make moot both carbon pricing
schemes and more expensive alternative energy
solutions. In remarks prepared for the Low-Carbon Energy Summit on 20 October 2011, Sorensen stated that "The most important thing that we can do to fight climate change is to replace coal
as our primary source of electricity" and advocated the LFTR as an "even less expensive" replacement. The ultimate goal is to "provide electricity for less cost than any other competing solution" which Sorensen thinks will "eventually get to 1 cent per kilowatt hour using this technology"
(colloquially: heat). The ability to harness this energy for useful and interesting work is only limited by the laws of thermodynamics
and the imagination. Specific examples of other LFTR applications cited by Sorensen:
(NRC). The US Army would like its bases to have self-sufficient power generation capability ("base islanding") which a LFTR could provide. Presenting at the Thorium Energy Conference on 10 October 2011, Sorensen further described how the US military needs a "remote source of power" in the form of "small rugged reactors" (SRR) "capable of operating in dangerous and remote areas" and how Flibe Energy is initially developing a "SRR LFTR" to meet that need, as it would be portable and easy to assemble/disassemble.
s:
in aerospace engineering (colloquially: "rocket science") from the Georgia Institute of Technology
and is pursuing a doctorate
in nuclear engineering
at the University of Tennessee
. He worked at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
from 2000 to 2010, followed by a year at Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama
as "Chief Nuclear Technologist" until he left to found Flibe Energy in 2011.
He participated at TEDxYYC
in April 2011, where he discussed the potential of Thorium and LFTR technology.
Kirk Sorensen also appeared in Motherboard’s documentary “The Thorium Dream”.
Liquid fluoride thorium reactor
The liquid fluoride thorium reactor is a thermal breeder reactor which uses the thorium fuel cycle in a fluoride-based molten salt fuel to achieve high operating temperatures at atmospheric pressure....
(LFTR) technology.
Corporation
Flibe Energy was founded on April 6, 2011 by Kirk Sorensen, former NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
aerospace engineer and formerly Chief Nuclear Technologist at Teledyne Brown Engineering and Kirk Dorius, an intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
attorney and mechanical engineer. The name "Flibe" comes from FLiBe
FLiBe
FLiBe is a mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride . As a molten salt it is proposed as a nuclear reactor coolant, and two different mixtures were used in the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment....
, a Fluoride
Fluoride
Fluoride is the anion F−, the reduced form of fluorine when as an ion and when bonded to another element. Both organofluorine compounds and inorganic fluorine containing compounds are called fluorides. Fluoride, like other halides, is a monovalent ion . Its compounds often have properties that are...
salt of Lithium
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. It is represented by the symbol Li, and it has the atomic number 3. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly...
and Beryllium
Beryllium
Beryllium is the chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a divalent element which occurs naturally only in combination with other elements in minerals. Notable gemstones which contain beryllium include beryl and chrysoberyl...
, used in LFTRs. Flibe Energy Incorporated is registered in the State of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
.
Initial Plan
In the 12 May 2011 "Introduction to Flibe Energy" with Sorensen and Dorius, an interview of Sorensen from 28 May 2011 and another from 14 July 2011, the creation of LFTRs was discussed."The real challenge will be getting to the first unit." — Kirk Sorensen
Design
- The LFTR diagram shown is of a two fluid reactor.
- The Flibe Energy LFTR will be moderatedNeutron moderatorIn nuclear engineering, a neutron moderator is a medium that reduces the speed of fast neutrons, thereby turning them into thermal neutrons capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction involving uranium-235....
with "graphiteNuclear GraphiteNuclear graphite is any grade of graphite, usually electro-graphite, specifically manufactured for use as a moderator or reflector within nuclear reactors...
, we're anticipating" (see video 4:15-4:35) - Reactor design emphasizing passive nuclear safetyPassive nuclear safetyPassive nuclear safety is a safety feature of a nuclear reactor that does not require operator actions or electronic feedback in order to shut down safely in the event of a particular type of emergency...
- Note e.g. discussion of fail-safeFail-safeA fail-safe or fail-secure device is one that, in the event of failure, responds in a way that will cause no harm, or at least a minimum of harm, to other devices or danger to personnel....
"freeze plug" (starting ~10:00) - The LFTR's low operating pressure was emphasized as a safety feature.
- Note e.g. discussion of fail-safe
- Electricity generationElectricity generationElectricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
is the intended main application, with helium gas turbineTurbineA turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.The simplest turbines have one moving part, a rotor assembly, which is a shaft or drum with blades attached. Moving fluid acts on the blades, or the blades react to the flow, so that they move and...
s operating at a temperature of ~1000 K (727 C; 1340 F) for ~50% efficiency - Initially 20-50 MW (electric); to be followed by 100 MWe "utility-class reactors" at a later time Sorensen notes that "LFTR technology [is] very favorable to scaling. We could scale down to a megawatt, or up to gigawatts."
- The first LFTR will only be designed to run for about a decade.
- Assembly lineAssembly lineAn assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
construction producing "mobile units that can be dispersed throughout the country where they need to go to generate the power." - Recyclable reactors: at the end of their usable life, LFTR nuclear decommissioningNuclear decommissioningNuclear decommissioning is the dismantling of a nuclear power plant and decontamination of the site to a state no longer requiring protection from radiation for the general public...
will consist of returning the mobile reactor to the factory for disassembly, reuse of the salts and graphite core and recycling of the rest.
Economics
Sorensen estimates that it will cost "several hundred million dollars" to get to the first LFTR, but he is "confident that we will be able to garner sufficient funding to have a prototype thorium reactor in operation" by 2016. (see timeline below)Besides the safety aspect (mentioned above) of a LFTR operating at far less pressure than a typical nuclear reactor
Pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
, Sorensen expects it to reduce costs: "That obviates the need for 9 inch steel pressure vessels, and thick concrete containment structures. Everything gets smaller with Thorium and fluoride salts, and that provides a substantial economic benefit."
Sorensen expects that LFTR technology will "make power cheaper than coal"; he comments that this would make moot both carbon pricing
Carbon pricing
Carbon pricing is the generic term for placing a price on carbon through either subsidies, a carbon tax, or an emissions trading system....
schemes and more expensive alternative energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
solutions. In remarks prepared for the Low-Carbon Energy Summit on 20 October 2011, Sorensen stated that "The most important thing that we can do to fight climate change is to replace coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
as our primary source of electricity" and advocated the LFTR as an "even less expensive" replacement. The ultimate goal is to "provide electricity for less cost than any other competing solution" which Sorensen thinks will "eventually get to 1 cent per kilowatt hour using this technology"
Applications
At its most basic level, the function of a LFTR is to act as a source of thermal energyThermal energy
Thermal energy is the part of the total internal energy of a thermodynamic system or sample of matter that results in the system's temperature....
(colloquially: heat). The ability to harness this energy for useful and interesting work is only limited by the laws of thermodynamics
Laws of thermodynamics
The four laws of thermodynamics summarize its most important facts. They define fundamental physical quantities, such as temperature, energy, and entropy, in order to describe thermodynamic systems. They also describe the transfer of energy as heat and work in thermodynamic processes...
and the imagination. Specific examples of other LFTR applications cited by Sorensen:
- DesalinationDesalinationDesalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove some amount of salt and other minerals from saline water...
, the conversion of salt water into fresh water, using the waste heat from electricity generation - District heatingDistrict heatingDistrict heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heating and water heating...
using the waste heat from electricity generation - Hydrogen productionHydrogen productionHydrogen production is the family of industrial methods for generating hydrogen. Currently the dominant technology for direct production is steam reforming from hydrocarbons. Many other methods are known including electrolysis and thermolysis...
by water splittingWater splittingWater splitting is the general term for a chemical reaction in which water is separated into oxygen and hydrogen. Efficient and economical water splitting would be a key technology component of a hydrogen economy. Various techniques for water splitting have been issued in water splitting patents in...
- Sulfur-iodine cycleSulfur-iodine cycleThe sulfur–iodine cycle is a three-step thermochemical cycle used to produce hydrogen.The S–I cycle consists of three chemical reactions whose net reactant is water and whose net products are hydrogen and oxygen. All other chemicals are recycled...
- Sulfur-iodine cycle
- Artificial fixation of nitrogenHaber processThe Haber process, also called the Haber–Bosch process, is the nitrogen fixation reaction of nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas, over an enriched iron or ruthenium catalyst, which is used to industrially produce ammonia....
for fertilizerFertilizerFertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
. - Carbon-neutral synthetic fuelSynthetic fuelSynthetic fuel or synfuel is a liquid fuel obtained from coal, natural gas, oil shale, or biomass. It may also refer to fuels derived from other solids such as plastics or rubber waste. It may also refer to gaseous fuels produced in a similar way...
production- MethanolMethanolMethanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
- Dimethyl etherDimethyl etherDimethyl ether , also known as methoxymethane, is the organic compound with the formula . The simplest ether, it is a colourless gas that is a useful precursor to other organic compounds and an aerosol propellant. When combusted, DME produces minimal soot and CO, though HC and NOx formation is...
- Methanol
Products
- An early application, begun even prior to completion of the first LFTR, will be the harvesting of radionuclideRadionuclideA radionuclide is an atom with an unstable nucleus, which is a nucleus characterized by excess energy available to be imparted either to a newly created radiation particle within the nucleus or to an atomic electron. The radionuclide, in this process, undergoes radioactive decay, and emits gamma...
s for nuclear medicineNuclear medicineIn nuclear medicine procedures, elemental radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs...
- Thorium-229 for Actinium-225 and Bismuth-213
- Molybdenum-99 to generateTechnetium-99m generatorA technetium-99m generator, or colloquially a technetium cow or moly cow, is a device used to extract the metastable isotope 99mTc of technetium from a source of decaying molybdenum-99...
Technetium-99mTechnetium-99mTechnetium-99m is a metastable nuclear isomer of technetium-99, symbolized as 99mTc. The "m" indicates that this is a metastable nuclear isomer, i.e., that its half-life of 6 hours is considerably longer than most nuclear isomers that undergo gamma decay...
- Separation of specific radionuclides useful in powering radioisotope thermoelectric generatorRadioisotope thermoelectric generatorA radioisotope thermoelectric generator is an electrical generator that obtains its power from radioactive decay. In such a device, the heat released by the decay of a suitable radioactive material is converted into electricity by the Seebeck effect using an array of thermocouples.RTGs can be...
s- Strontium-90Strontium-90Strontium-90 is a radioactive isotope of strontium, with a half-life of 28.8 years.-Radioactivity:Natural strontium is nonradioactive and nontoxic, but 90Sr is a radioactivity hazard...
- Plutonium-238Plutonium-238-External links:**...
- Strontium-90
- Synthesis of precious metals
- RhodiumRhodiumRhodium is a chemical element that is a rare, silvery-white, hard and chemically inert transition metal and a member of the platinum group. It has the chemical symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is composed of only one isotope, 103Rh. Naturally occurring rhodium is found as the free metal, alloyed...
and RutheniumRutheniumRuthenium is a chemical element with symbol Ru and atomic number 44. It is a rare transition metal belonging to the platinum group of the periodic table. Like the other metals of the platinum group, ruthenium is inert to most chemicals. The Russian scientist Karl Ernst Claus discovered the element...
"will stabilize completely about a decade after removal from the reactor" - PalladiumPalladiumPalladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
"has a single long-lived radioisotope that might diminish its value somewhat but would probably still allow it to be used in catalysts."
- Rhodium
- Collection of other valuable nuclear fission products that have stabilizedStable isotopeStable isotopes are chemical isotopes that may or may not be radioactive, but if radioactive, have half-lives too long to be measured.Only 90 nuclides from the first 40 elements are energetically stable to any kind of decay save proton decay, in theory...
.- XenonXenonXenon is a chemical element with the symbol Xe and atomic number 54. The element name is pronounced or . A colorless, heavy, odorless noble gas, xenon occurs in the Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts...
- NeodymiumNeodymiumNeodymium is a chemical element with the symbol Nd and atomic number 60. It is a soft silvery metal that tarnishes in air. Neodymium was discovered in 1885 by the Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach. It is present in significant quantities in the ore minerals monazite and bastnäsite...
- MolybdenumMolybdenumMolybdenum , is a Group 6 chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. The name is from Neo-Latin Molybdaenum, from Ancient Greek , meaning lead, itself proposed as a loanword from Anatolian Luvian and Lydian languages, since its ores were confused with lead ores...
- ZirconiumZirconiumZirconium is a chemical element with the symbol Zr and atomic number 40. The name of zirconium is taken from the mineral zircon. Its atomic mass is 91.224. It is a lustrous, grey-white, strong transition metal that resembles titanium...
- Xenon
Timeline
- Demonstrate criticalityNuclear chain reactionA nuclear chain reaction occurs when one nuclear reaction causes an average of one or more nuclear reactions, thus leading to a self-propagating number of these reactions. The specific nuclear reaction may be the fission of heavy isotopes or the fusion of light isotopes...
in June 2015, the 50th anniversary of first criticality at the Molten-Salt Reactor ExperimentMolten-Salt Reactor ExperimentThe Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment was an experimental molten-salt reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory researching this technology through the 1960s; constructed by 1964, it went critical in 1965 and was operated until 1969....
. - 2016-2021: "with full financing we can [...] get to a demonstrator unit in five [...] years and [...] probably to a utility scale unit before the end of the decade." (audio file ~20:15) "Given sufficient funding, we could see a utility class gigawatt reactor up and running within ten years. It will probably be a prototype, verifying the concept and accumulating operational experience."
- by 2031: Sorensen hopes to see "multiple factories producing hundreds of thorium reactors each. If that happens, we could see new thorium reactors being produced on a daily basis."
Military
In order to achieve its goals, Flibe Energy intends to work with the US Military as it has independent regulatory authority, thus avoiding roadblocks at the Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
(NRC). The US Army would like its bases to have self-sufficient power generation capability ("base islanding") which a LFTR could provide. Presenting at the Thorium Energy Conference on 10 October 2011, Sorensen further described how the US military needs a "remote source of power" in the form of "small rugged reactors" (SRR) "capable of operating in dangerous and remote areas" and how Flibe Energy is initially developing a "SRR LFTR" to meet that need, as it would be portable and easy to assemble/disassemble.
Challenges
Four specific difficulties have been mentioned:- Salts can be corrosiveCorrosiveA corrosive substance is one that will destroy or irreversibly damage another surface or substance with which it comes into contact. The main hazards to people include damage to the eyes, the skin, and the tissue under the skin; inhalation or ingestion of a corrosive substance can damage the...
to materials - Designing for high-temperature operation is more difficult
- There has been little innovation in the field for several decades
- The differences between LFTRs and the light water reactorLight water reactorThe light water reactor is a type of thermal reactor that uses normal water as its coolant and neutron moderator. Thermal reactors are the most common type of nuclear reactor, and light water reactors are the most common type of thermal reactor...
s in majority use today are vast; the former "is not yet fully understood by regulatory agencies and officials." (note NRC mention above)
Marketing
TaglineTagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
s:
- LFTR by Flibe Energy, powering the next thousand years
- Our mission is to supply the world with affordable and sustainable energy, water, and fuel.
Future
Potential for vessels to be powered with thorium-based reactors:- "future cruise shipCruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s and cargo vessels" - "Although nuclear is unsuitable for getting into space from earthLaunch vehicleIn spaceflight, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into outer space. A launch system includes the launch vehicle, the launch pad and other infrastructure....
", thorium could be used for deep space missionsDeep space explorationDeep space exploration is the term used for the exploration of deep space and which is usually described as being quite distant away from Earth, within or away from the solar system....
."
Kirk Sorensen
Sorensen has a Master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in aerospace engineering (colloquially: "rocket science") from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
and is pursuing a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. He worked at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
Marshall Space Flight Center
The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center is the U.S. government's civilian rocketry and spacecraft propulsion research center. The largest center of NASA, MSFC's first mission was developing the Saturn launch vehicles for the Apollo moon program...
from 2000 to 2010, followed by a year at Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
as "Chief Nuclear Technologist" until he left to found Flibe Energy in 2011.
He participated at TEDxYYC
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in April 2011, where he discussed the potential of Thorium and LFTR technology.
Kirk Sorensen also appeared in Motherboard’s documentary “The Thorium Dream”.
See also
- Alvin M. WeinbergAlvin M. WeinbergAlvin Martin Weinberg was an American nuclear physicist who was the administrator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory during and after the Manhattan Project period. He came to Oak Ridge, Tennessee in 1945 and remained there until his death in 2006.-Early years in Chicago: Alvin Weinberg was born...
- Bryony Worthington, Baroness WorthingtonBryony Worthington, Baroness WorthingtonBryony Katherine Worthington, Baroness Worthington, , is a British environmental campaigner and Labour life peer in the House of Lords...
- Nuclear power debateNuclear power debateThe nuclear power debate is about the controversy which has surrounded the deployment and use of nuclear fission reactors to generate electricity from nuclear fuel for civilian purposes...
External links
- Flibe Energy Company website
- Energy From Thorium Sorensen's website
- Kirk Sorensen's blog on Forbes.com
- Third Thorium Energy Alliance Conference (Introduction to Flibe Energy)
- Filbe Energy YouTube Channel
- Uranium Is So Last Century — Enter Thorium, the New Green Nuke
- Forbes article: Is Thorium the Biggest Energy Breakthrough Since Fire? Possibly.
- Thorium and LFTR Top Ten Attributes (a talking points memorandum by Flibe Energy)
- Thorium Remix 2011, in which Sorensen features prominently
- Q&A with Kirk Sorensen on redditRedditreddit is a social news website where the registered users submit content, in the form of either a link or a text "self" post. Other users then vote the submission "up" or "down," which is used to rank the post and determine its position on the site's pages and front page.Reddit was originally...
23 November 2011