SuperFuel: Thorium, the Green Energy Source for the Future

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SuperFuel: Thorium, the Green Energy Source for the Future

by Richard Martin (Goodreads Author)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 40 ratings · 10 reviews

A riveting look at how an alternative source of energy is revoluntionising nuclear power, promising a safe and clean future for millions, and why thorium was sidelined at the height of the Cold War

In this groundbreaking account of an energy revolution in the making, award-winning science writer Richard Martin introduces us to thorium, a radioactive element and alternativ...more

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Palgrave Macmillan

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Dec 17, 2012 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of science, politicians, concerned citizens.

Shelves: science

If you read only one book this year about thorium-powered nuclear energy ... well ... you'll have read as many as I have.

I'm certainly no expert when it comes to nuclear energy. But I do love science, and I found Richard Martin's "Superfuel" to be a fascinating read, one which I highly recommend.

As the US population increases, so too will our consumption of energy. Where will this energy come from? We'll need to utilize several sources, and Richard Martin hopes that thorium will be a major play...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Arminius rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science

Is there a solution to America’s energy problems? If you read this book you will surely believe so with the use of Thorium as the fuel to accomplish this. There is enough Thorium around to replace coal, oil, natural gas and uranium nuclear reactors. So, Thorium can produce enough electricity to power the United States for at least a century.

Currently, all U.S. Nuclear plants are fueled by Uranium. The way a Nuclear Reactor works is by firing neutrons into a Uranium isotope (U-235) nucleus; the n...more Is there a solution to America’s energy problems? If you read this book you will surely believe so with the use of Thorium as the fuel to accomplish this. There is enough Thorium around to replace coal, oil, natural gas and uranium nuclear reactors. So, Thorium can produce enough electricity to power the United States for at least a century.

Currently, all U.S. Nuclear plants are fueled by Uranium. The way a Nuclear Reactor works is by firing neutrons into a Uranium isotope (U-235) nucleus; the nucleus absorbs the neutron, becomes unstable and splits immediately. When these U-235 atoms split they produce tremendous amounts of energy. This energy heats water into steam which turns a turbine which generates electricity. Thorium reactors can replace Uranium as the fuel for these types of nuclear reactors.

Why replace uranium? There are a few challenges with Uranium fueled reactors. First, Uranium ore contains just 0.7% fissile (capable of undergoing nuclear fission) material (named U-235). The remaining Uranium is called U-238. So you need to enrich uranium (by separating the U 235 from the U-238) to make it capable of fissile and that is expensive. Second, once uranium is refined the U-235 can be used to create nuclear weapons. Third, spent fuel is highly radioactive and needs to be stored.

The use of Thorium to produce power alleviates many of uranium’s problems. First, it requires no special enrichment process. Second, it produces far less waste than a uranium reactor. Third, Thorium’s waste must be sealed in radiation proof containers for only 3 centuries. That sounds like a lot but when compared to uranium’s ten thousand year storage requirements, it is miniscule. Fourth, you can use U-235 to make nuclear bombs. Thorium cannot be used to make bombs.

In addition, Uranium reactors produce 50 to 60 megawatts per kilogram of fuel while thorium based reactors produce 100 megawatts per kilogram of fuel.

The one drawback of using Thorium is that Thorium’s spent fuel is Uranium 233 (U-233) and plutonium. These decay into bismuth 212 and thallium 208 which emit very dangerous gamma rays. However the risk is somewhat mitigated due to the fact that there is much less spent fuel produced by Thorium and it can be recycled and used in new Thorium reactors.

This book also discusses the history of Nuclear energy, the politics of it, as well as the current push towards Thorium all over the world.
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Apr 22, 2013 Alvin rated it 2 of 5 stars

DNF. I have some background in reactor physics from college, and I wanted to learn more about how molten salt liquid fluoride reactors operate, what their pro's/cons are etc. Unfortunately this isn't the book for it. I didn't find his explanations of how the design works to be well introduced or clear. Much of the narrative focuses on the history of research in thorium which is mildly interesting, but not compelling. Finally he concludes with the further development of this technology in emergin...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Richard Martin provides a rich, convoluted, yet clear history of the development of the American nuclear program, from its start in the Manhattan Project to today. An element unfamiliar to most audiences, thorium takes its place two pegs down from uranium on the periodic table, and is the focus of the book. Should its promise hold true, it has the potential to take a much more important place in world energy supplies and use.

This is not a technical book, though Martin does take the time to expl...more Richard Martin provides a rich, convoluted, yet clear history of the development of the American nuclear program, from its start in the Manhattan Project to today. An element unfamiliar to most audiences, thorium takes its place two pegs down from uranium on the periodic table, and is the focus of the book. Should its promise hold true, it has the potential to take a much more important place in world energy supplies and use.

This is not a technical book, though Martin does take the time to explain the general concept behind thorium reactions and plant designs that capitalize on its strengths as an energy source. There is more of it than uranium, for example, it is also easier and safer to control. For Americans interested in energy independence, they can take comfort in the knowledge that the US has plenty of thorium available on their own land.

The nuclear energy industry sprouted as a bastard child of the nuclear weapons program, with its origins in Fat Man and Little Boy followed closely by its use in submarine technology and aircraft carriers. But almost from the outset of the Manhattan Project, scientists and engineers were aware of the potential of nuclear power to transform our lives after the war. Martin reveals many of the major players in the early and latter day history of nuclear power, with the battles between dove Alvin Weinberg and hawk Hyman Rickover a focal point in the book.

Martin writes about a technical subject as a history, and does so for the benefit of a general audience. He is clear from the outset that he is a proponent of the technology, but thankfully takes the time to discuss opposing views. The nuclear power industry rates rather poorly among most demographics, after all. Sadly, much of it deserved; I don't deny I personally have a skepticism about industry practices, and probably read more anti- than pro-nuclear articles. That said, we already use nuclear plants, and thorium may indeed prove to be a better way to go in future. I think it wise to investigate it further, rather than dismiss it out of hand.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm a fan of history of science books, so this was at least a 3 before I opened it. Super Fuel fits into the Science Studies niche of explaining how social/political/personal interactions affected the direction of nuclear energy R&D in the U.S.

Martin (a writer for Wired magazine) begins the book by acknowledging that almost every article in Wired seems like a "this one thing will change the world!" article, but that really, he thinks thorium is a big deal. I was a bit nervous that he laid it...more I'm a fan of history of science books, so this was at least a 3 before I opened it. Super Fuel fits into the Science Studies niche of explaining how social/political/personal interactions affected the direction of nuclear energy R&D in the U.S.

Martin (a writer for Wired magazine) begins the book by acknowledging that almost every article in Wired seems like a "this one thing will change the world!" article, but that really, he thinks thorium is a big deal. I was a bit nervous that he laid it out like this in the beginning. I didn't want to be convinced of an idea (especially since my extremely limited knowledge of nuclear physics and engineering would not allow me to be very skeptical of any scientific points or projections offered), but I was curious about the technology.

If you, like me, listen to enough NPR stories about the energy crisis and global warming to scare the bejeebus out of you, you pretty much feel hopeless and then start to cling to the hope that some smart scientists are working on a way to save us. Then you are overcome by skepticism that no one is actually working on a legitimate solution and then you go to the bar and have some drinks and feel better.

I digress. What I liked about this book is that although Martin states from the beginning that he is on the side of thorium power, the bulk of the book is merely presenting history and facts to bring us up to where we are and why we are in the position we're in today. By the end I was not convinced that thorium was a cure-all, but that it was an idea that was certainly worth exploring. In theory it seems like a safer alternative to uranium reactors. The biggest reason it didn't get off the ground was that it wasn't unstable enough to build a good bomb-- today that seems like a great kind of energy to have. There's also some interesting facts about the nuclear conundrum in our country. Atomic bombs and nuclear reactor meltdowns have made so many people virulently anti-nuclear that we do not devote any new research to making what we have safer and more efficient. While these are legitimate fears, we are actually less safe by not devoting resources to studying these issues and updating outdated (and potentially dangerous) technology. Of course the end of the book is all about how China and India have already caught this wave and are developing thorium reactors while we continue to grasp for oil.
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Sep 18, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Unabashedly pro-thorium, pro-LFTR propaganda by a former Wired writer who jokes that at the magazine every article had to have the word revolutionary in it, and then calls thorium "revolutionary." Still, if you like reading about science and technology, it's fun, and it's a quick, light, well-explained introduction to the subject.

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Mar 31, 2013 Wayne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Definitely worth a read. Fascinating history about Thorium based nuclear energy and why it never took hold around the world. The book provides a potential answer to the energy crisis and climate crisis our world faces. If only our governments had the will to make this happen.

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Jun 30, 2012 Andrew Brownsword rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not terribly impressed by the writing style -- seemed to jump around a great deal, especially in discussing historical timelines and interactions. Well worth reading, however, as it is a very important topic and broader awareness needs to be raised.

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Jul 13, 2012 BAKU rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'll only do it if everyone at the plant wears the little helmet with wings on it ~

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Feb 01, 2013 Alexandra Andic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Subject is very interesting, but unfortunately I really did not liked the style. Book is written by journalist in style more appropriate to magazines not books. Pity.

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About Richard Martin

I was the first to write about thorium in the mainstream press. My feature story in Wired catalyzed the thorium power movement. I am an award-winning journalist, and my work has appeared in Time, Fortune, The Atlantic, and The Best Science Writing. I am also the editorial director of Pike Research, a leading clean-energy firm. I live in Boulder, Colorado with my wife and son.

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