Izicwangciso zokwenziwa kwesixhobo senyukliya se-thorium ziqhubela phambili ngolindelo olukhulu. Kulindeleke ukuba i-reactor yokuqala yolu hlobo inokwakhiwa kwaye isebenze ngo-2016, into eya kuphawula isiganeko esibalulekileyo kwishishini lamandla. Ngokungafaniyo nezityalo zenyukliya eziqhelekileyo ezisebenzisa i-uranium, i-reactor ye-thorium ayiyi kufuna ukusebenzisa izinto ezinokuguqulwa zibe zizixhobo zenyukliya. Oku kunciphisa kakhulu umngcipheko weentlekele ezifana neChernobyl okanye Fukushima.
I-Thorium ikwabonelela ngeenzuzo ezicacileyo malunga nokhuseleko kunye nokufumaneka. Le element ininzi kakhulu kune-uranium, okuthetha ukuba iya kuba nexabiso eliphantsi kwaye kulula ukuyibonelela. Ukusetyenziswa kwe-thorium njengamafutha enyukliya kunciphisa iindleko zokusebenza, ekubeni iimfuno zokhuseleko ziphantsi kwaye, ngoko ke, iindleko ezidityaniswe nezi nazo ziyancitshiswa. Kungoku nje, amanyathelo okhuseleko yenye yezona ndawo zixabisa kakhulu zokwakha kunye nokusebenzisa iziko lenyukliya lesiqhelo.
I-Thorium: Ininzi, ikhuselekile kwaye iyasebenza
Ithorium iboniswa njengamafutha enyukliya acocekileyo naninzi ngakumbi kwihlabathi xa kuthelekiswa neuranium. Ubukho bayo buphantse buphindwe kathathu kune-uranium, ngokwezifundo zamva nje. Enye yeenzuzo eziphambili zale elementi kukuba ayinagalelo ekwandeni kwezixhobo zenyukliya. Oku kuyenza ibe yindlela ekhuselekileyo kumazwe afuna ukwandisa amandla awo okuvelisa amandla enyukliya ngaphandle kwemingcipheko eyayanyaniswa nayo.
Ngokungafaniyo neereactors zangoku ezifuna iinkqubo zokupholisa ezintsonkothileyo kunye nezakhiwo ezigciniweyo zokuqinisa, I-reactors yethorium inokwakhiwa ngeemfuno ezilula. Abayi kufuna izakhiwo ezikhethekileyo zokuziqulatha, ezivumela ukuba iindleko zeziseko zabo zibe ngaphantsi. Ngaphezu koko, uyilo lwe-thorium reactors luvumela ukuba zigcinwe ngokuzimeleyo kunye nokungenelela okuncinci komntu, kufuna kuphela ukuhlolwa rhoqo kwiinyanga ezimbalwa.
Oku kubaluleke ngakumbi kumazwe asakhasayo. Ngokomzekelo, e-Indiya, ilizwe elixhomekeke kakhulu kumafutha e-fossil, ukuphuhliswa kwezi zixhobo ze-thorium-based based reactors ingaba sisisombululo esizinzileyo sexesha elide. Kuqikelelwa ukuba i-thorium iya kukwazi ukugubungela ukuya kwi-30% yeemfuno zamandla zelizwe lase-Asia ngo-2050.
Uguqulo olunyibilikisiweyo lwereactor yetyuwa
Okwangoku, i-China ikhokelela ekuphuhlisweni kwe-thorium etyhidiweyo ye-reactor yetyuwa. Le reactor, yakhiwa kwiNtlango yeGobi, ineempawu ezimbini ezisisiseko ezenza umdla ngakumbi. Okokuqala, ngenxa yokuba ifriji yokuqala yi- umxube wetyuwa otyhidiweyo, le reactor ayifuni manzi ukupholisa umbindi wayo, nto leyo eyenza kube lula ukwakha kwiindawo ezikude okanye ezomileyo.
Ityuwa enyibilikisiweyo ikwadlala indima ebalulekileyo kukhuseleko lwesixhobo. Isebenza njengesipholisi esisebenza ngakumbi kuneso sisetyenziswa kwiireactors zeuranium, kumaqondo asezantsi obushushu kunye noxinzelelo olusondele kwi-atmospheric, inciphisa kakhulu umngcipheko wokudubula. Ngaphezu koko, ukuba ityuwa enyibilikisiweyo inokuvuza iphuma kwireactor, le tyuwa inokuphola ngokukhawuleza ize iqine, nto leyo ethintela naziphi na izinto ezinemitha yokusasazeka kwemitha ukuba zikhutshelwe kwimekobume.
Uphuhliso lwale reactor e-China yinxalenye yesicwangciso esibanzi esijolise kuyo ukufumana ukuzimela kwamandla. Le reactor kuxelwe ukuba kulindeleke ukuba ikwazi ukuvelisa ukuya kutsho kuma-60 eemegawathi zombane oshushu, okwanele ukunika amandla kwiziko lokuvelisa umbane elincinane. Ngexesha elide, i-China iceba ukuvelisa i-hydrogen isebenzisa le teknoloji, eya kubeka phambili kumandla acocekileyo.
Ikamva lamandla enyukliya nge-thorium
Ukuba iiprototypes zezi reactors zingqineke ziyimpumelelo, amazwe kwihlabathi liphela angabuthatha obu buchwephesha kwiimfuno zabo zamandla. Kwixesha elizayo, i-miniaturization ye-reactors inokwenzeka. Ithetha ngayo iiyunithi eziya kuxabisa i-1000 yeedola kwaye zinokunika amandla amakhaya ali-10 kubomi babo bonke. Oku kuya kuba yinkqubela phambili emangalisayo, ngakumbi kumazwe asakhasayo, apho iziseko zombane zilinganiselwe.
Nangona kunjalo, indlela eya ekwamkelweni kobuninzi be-thorium njengomthombo wamandla isagcwele imingeni. Enye yeengxaki ezinkulu kukutya okuveliswa ziityuwa ezinyibilikisiweyo kwimibhobho yereactor. Ukongezelela, i-thorium ayikho i-fissile ngokuthe ngqo, oku kuthetha ukuba kufuneka ixutywe kunye nezinye izinto (ezifana ne-uranium okanye i-plutonium) ukuze isetyenziswe ngokufanelekileyo kwi-chain reaction.
Ngaphandle kwale mingeni, inkqubela phambili kubunjineli benyukliya bale mihla ikhokelela i-thorium ukuba ibe lukhetho olusebenzayo nolukhuselekileyo. Amazwe afana neIndiya sele eneenkqubo eziphambili zokuvavanya i-thorium-based fuel cycle. Amanye amazwe afana neMelika kunye neFrance nawo atyala imali kuphando lokuphuhlisa obu buchwepheshe.
Izinto eziluncedo kunye nemingeni ye-thorium
Phakathi kweenzuzo eziphambili ze-thorium kubuninzi bayo kunye nokhuseleko olunikezela ngexesha lokuphatha kunye nokusetyenziswa kwizityalo zamandla enyukliya. I-Thorium ayivelisi inkunkuma ye-plutonium, enciphisa umngcipheko wokungcoliswa kwe-radioactive. Ngaphezu koko, isiqingatha sobomi benkunkuma ye-radioactive eyenziwa yi-thorium reactor mfutshane kakhulu kunokuba yenziwe yi-uranium reactors. Oku kwenza kube lula ukuphatha nokugcina ngokukhuselekileyo.
Nangona kunjalo, kusekho indlela ende yokuba i-thorium yamkelwe kwihlabathi jikelele kwicandelo lamandla. Iindleko zophando kunye nophuhliso zihlala ziphezulu ngenxa yokunqongophala kwezixhobo ezisebenza ngolu hlobo. Kwakhona, i-thorium ingaba nzima ukuyikhupha, kuba ifumaneka kwii-ores ezixutywe kufuneka ziqhutywe ngexabiso eliphezulu kune-uranium.
Impumelelo ye-reactor yetyuwa etyhidiweyo e-China iya kuba ngumzekelo wezinye iintlanga eziza kulandelwa. Ukuba iindleko zinokuncitshiswa kwaye imingeni yobugcisa yoyiswe, kunokwenzeka kakhulu ukuba i-thorium iya kudlala indima ebalulekileyo ekutshintsheni kumthombo wamandla ongenazinto ezikhutshwayo ezingcolisayo.