Summary:
The speaker discusses Copenhagen Atomics, a startup focused on thorium energy technology. They describe a small thorium lump the size of a golf ball capable of providing a lifetime of energy. Thorium is converted into uranium-233, a valuable nuclear fuel. The speaker emphasizes thorium's abundance and energy density compared to other fuels, and its potential to revolutionize nuclear energy. They introduce the "Onion core," a patented reactor design that utilizes heavy water and a thorium blanket to optimize neutron economy, enabling a more efficient chain reaction for energy production. Several prototypes have been developed to showcase this innovative approach to nuclear energy.
Here are some key facts extracted from the text:
1. Copenhagen Atomics is a startup company that develops thorium-based molten salt reactors for green energy production.
2. Thorium is a metal that can provide enough energy for a person's entire life with a golf ball-sized lump, and it is abundant and renewable.
3. Thorium reactors can use the spent fuel from other nuclear reactors as a starter fuel, and generate 10 times more energy per kilogram than them.
4. Thorium reactors produce less radioactive waste than other nuclear reactors, and the waste only needs to be stored for 300 years above ground.
5. Copenhagen Atomics aims to mass manufacture and operate the reactors, and claims to offer the lowest cost of energy compared to any other source.