TEDxYYC
Kirk Sorensen: Thorium, an alternative nuclear fuel
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Kirk Sorensen shows us the liquid fuel thorium reactor -- a way to produce energy that is safer, cleaner and more efficient than current nuclear power.
(Filmed at TEDxYYC.)
Kirk Sorensen - Engineer, nuclear technologist
Kirk Sorensen stumbled across thorium while doing research on how to power a lunar community. Thorium is a cleaner, safer, and more abundant nuclear fuel -- one that Kirk believes will revolutionize how we produce our energy. Full bio
Kirk Sorensen stumbled across thorium while doing research on how to power a lunar community. Thorium is a cleaner, safer, and more abundant nuclear fuel -- one that Kirk believes will revolutionize how we produce our energy. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:06
Nearly everyone in the world
is part of some community,
is part of some community,
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全世界几乎每个人都是社区的一部分，
不管这个群体是大是小。
00:09
whether large or small.
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所有的这些社区都有类似的需求。
00:11
And all of these communities
have similar needs.
have similar needs.
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他们需要照明，
00:14
They need light,
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他们需要热量，
00:15
they need heat
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他们需要空调。
00:16
they need air-conditioning.
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当太热或太冷时，人们不能很好的工作。
00:18
People can't function very well
when it's too hot or too cold.
when it's too hot or too cold.
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他们需要食物的供给，
配送和安全存储。
配送和安全存储。
00:21
They need food to be grown or provided,
distributed and stored safely.
distributed and stored safely.
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他们需要垃圾回收，移除和处理。
00:25
They need waste products to be collected,
removed and processed.
removed and processed.
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社区的人们需要能够
尽可能快的从一个地方
尽可能快的从一个地方
00:30
People in the community need to be able
to get from one place to another
to get from one place to another
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到另一个地方。
00:33
as quickly as possible.
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能源供应是所有这些活动的基础。
00:34
And a supply of energy is the basis
for all of these activities.
for all of these activities.
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以电力存在的能源，
提供了照明和制冷。
提供了照明和制冷。
00:38
Energy in the form of electricity
provides light and air-conditioning.
provides light and air-conditioning.
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以热能存在的能量，
让我们保持温暖。
让我们保持温暖。
00:41
Energy in the form of heat keeps us warm.
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化学能源提供了肥料；
00:43
And energy in chemical
form provides fertilizer;
form provides fertilizer;
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它驱动农业机械并运输能源。
00:46
it drives farm machinery
and transportation energy.
and transportation energy.
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我在NASA工作了10年。
00:49
Now, I spent 10 years working at NASA.
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2000年我刚开始工作时，
00:51
In the beginning of my time there in 2000,
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对社区非常有兴趣。
00:54
I was very interested in communities.
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但我在思考的是，
这种类型的社区——
这种类型的社区——
00:56
But this is the kind of community
I was thinking of --
I was thinking of --
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一个月球社区。
00:58
a lunar community
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它有地球上社区所有的同类需求，
01:00
It had all of the same needs
as a community on Earth would have,
as a community on Earth would have,
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但它有一些非常独特的约束条件。
01:03
but it had some very unique constraints.
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我们需要想出如何
为这个非常独特的社区
为这个非常独特的社区
01:05
And we had to think about
how we would provide energy
how we would provide energy
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提供能源。
01:08
for this very unique community.
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月球上没有煤炭，
01:09
There’s no coal on the Moon.
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没有石油，
01:11
There's no petroleum.
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没有天然气，
01:12
There’s no natural gas.
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没有大气层，
01:14
There's no atmosphere.
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也没有风。
01:15
There’s no wind, either.
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而太阳能有个真正的问题：
01:17
And solar power had a real problem:
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月球每月环绕地球一周。
01:19
the Moon orbits the Earth once a month.
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有两周，太阳落山后，
01:21
For two weeks, the sun goes down,
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你的太阳能面板无法产生任何能源。
01:23
and your solar panels
don't make any energy.
don't make any energy.
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如果你想要用电池存储足够两周的能源，
01:25
If you want to try to store
enough energy in batteries for two weeks,
enough energy in batteries for two weeks,
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压根儿不现实。
01:29
it just simply isn't practical.
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所以核能源确实是唯一的选择。
01:30
So nuclear energy
was really the only choice.
was really the only choice.
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2000年的时候，我对核能所知不多，
01:32
Now, back in 2000, I didn't really know
too much about nuclear power,
too much about nuclear power,
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于是我开始学习。
01:36
so I started trying to learn.
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我们今天在地球上使用的几乎所有核能
01:37
Almost all of the nuclear power
we use on Earth today uses water
we use on Earth today uses water
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都用水作为基本冷却剂。
01:41
as a basic coolant.
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这个方法有一些优势，但也有很多不足。
01:42
This has some advantages,
but it has a lot of disadvantages.
but it has a lot of disadvantages.
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如果你想要产生电，
你得让水温比正常情况下
你得让水温比正常情况下
01:45
If you want to generate electricity,
you have to get the water a lot hotter
you have to get the water a lot hotter
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高很多。
01:49
than you normally can.
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在正常气压下，水在100度沸腾。
01:50
At normal pressures, water will boil
at 100 degrees Celsius.
at 100 degrees Celsius.
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这还不足以有效的发电。
01:53
This isn't nearly hot enough
to generate electricity effectively.
to generate electricity effectively.
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所以水冷反应堆必须在比大气压
01:57
So water-cooled reactors have to run
at much higher pressures
at much higher pressures
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更高的压力下运行。
02:00
than atmospheric pressure.
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一些水冷反应堆的运行压力
超过70个大气压，
超过70个大气压，
02:02
Some water-cooled reactors run
at over 70 atmospheres of pressure,
at over 70 atmospheres of pressure,
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另一些则高达150个大气压。
02:06
and others have to run at as much as
150 atmospheres of pressure.
150 atmospheres of pressure.
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这是不可避免的；
02:10
There's no getting around this;
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如果你想要使用水冷反应堆产生电力，
02:11
it's simply what you have to do
if you want to generate electricity
if you want to generate electricity
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就必须这样做。
02:14
using a water-cooled reactor.
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这意味着你必须建造一个水冷反应堆
02:16
This means you have to build
a water-cooled reactor
a water-cooled reactor
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作为压力容器，
02:18
as a pressure vessel,
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有超过20厘米厚的钢墙。
02:20
with steel walls
over 20 centimeters thick.
over 20 centimeters thick.
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如果这听起来很重，那确实因为它很重。
02:22
If that sounds heavy,
that's because it is.
that's because it is.
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如果发生事故，反应堆内部压力泄漏，
02:24
Things get a lot worse
if you have an accident
if you have an accident
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情况会变得更糟。
02:26
where you lose pressure
inside the reactor.
inside the reactor.
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如果你有300摄氏度的液态水，
02:29
If you have liquid water
at 300 degrees Celsius
at 300 degrees Celsius
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突然间减压，
02:31
and suddenly you depressurize it,
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它不会保持在液态太久，
02:33
it doesn't stay liquid for very long;
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而是会快速蒸发成蒸汽。
02:35
it flashes into steam.
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所以水冷反应堆建
在又大又厚的混凝土建筑内，
在又大又厚的混凝土建筑内，
02:36
So water-cooled reactors are built
inside of big, thick concrete buildings
inside of big, thick concrete buildings
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称为安全壳建筑，
02:40
called containment buildings,
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假如你在事故中失去了压力，
02:42
which are meant to hold all of the steam
that would come out of the reactor
that would come out of the reactor
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它可以用来储存所有
从反应堆中泄漏的蒸汽。
从反应堆中泄漏的蒸汽。
02:45
if you had an accident
where you lost pressure.
where you lost pressure.
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蒸汽的体积大约是液态水的1000倍，
02:47
Steam takes up about 1,000 times
more volume than liquid water,
more volume than liquid water,
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所以安全壳建筑最终相对反应堆
02:51
so the containment building
ends up being very large,
ends up being very large,
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会变得非常庞大。
02:54
relative to the size of the reactor.
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假如你失压，另一件坏事是
02:55
Another bad thing happens
if you lose pressure
if you lose pressure
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水变成蒸汽。
02:58
and your water flashes to steam.
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如果你没有给反应堆中的
燃料提供紧急冷却剂，
燃料提供紧急冷却剂，
02:59
If you don't get emergency coolant
to the fuel in the reactor,
to the fuel in the reactor,
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它会过热而融化。
03:02
it can overheat and melt.
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我们现在的反应堆使用
铀氧化物作为燃料。
铀氧化物作为燃料。
03:04
The reactors we have today
use uranium oxide as a fuel.
use uranium oxide as a fuel.
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它是一种陶瓷材料，在性能上类似于
03:07
It's a ceramic material
similar in performance
similar in performance
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我们用来制作咖啡杯或炊具的陶瓷，
03:10
to the ceramics we use to make
coffee cups or cookware
coffee cups or cookware
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03:13
or the bricks we use to line fireplaces.
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或我们用来排列壁炉的砖。
它们的化学性质比较稳定，
03:15
They're chemically stable,
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但热传导性能不佳。
03:16
but they're not very good
at transferring heat.
at transferring heat.
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如果你失去压力，失去水，
03:18
If you lose pressure, you lose your water,
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很快你的燃料就会融化
03:20
and soon your fuel will melt down
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并释放其中的放射性裂变产物。
03:22
and release the radioactive
fission products within it.
fission products within it.
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制造固体核燃料是
一个复杂而昂贵的过程。
一个复杂而昂贵的过程。
03:25
Making solid nuclear fuel
is a complicated and expensive process.
is a complicated and expensive process.
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在核燃料不能再留在反应堆之前，
03:28
And we extract less than one percent
of the energy for the nuclear fuel
of the energy for the nuclear fuel
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我们只提取了不到1%的能量。
03:31
before it can no longer
remain in the reactor.
remain in the reactor.
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水冷反应堆还面临着另一个挑战：
03:34
Water-cooled reactors have
another additional challenge:
another additional challenge:
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它们需要靠近大型水源，
03:36
they need to be near
large bodies of water,
large bodies of water,
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在那里，它们产生的蒸汽
可以冷却和凝结。
可以冷却和凝结。
03:39
where the steam they generate
can be cooled and condensed.
can be cooled and condensed.
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否则，它们无法产生电力。
03:41
Otherwise, they can't generate
electrical power.
electrical power.
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月球上没有湖水和河流，
03:44
Now, there's no lakes
or rivers on the Moon,
or rivers on the Moon,
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所以听起来水冷反应堆
03:46
so if all of this makes it sound
like water-cooled reactors
like water-cooled reactors
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对于月球社区并不是很合适，
03:49
aren't such a good fit
for a lunar community,
for a lunar community,
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我倾向于同意你的看法。
03:51
I would tend to agree with you.
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（笑声）
03:52
(Laughter)
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我幸运地了解到
有另外一种形式的核能
有另外一种形式的核能
03:53
I had the good fortune to learn about
a different form of nuclear power
a different form of nuclear power
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没有所有这些问题，
03:57
that doesn't have all these problems,
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因为一个非常简单的原因：
03:59
for a very simple reason:
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它不基于水冷却，也不使用固体燃料。
04:00
it's not based on water-cooling,
and it doesn't use solid fuel.
and it doesn't use solid fuel.
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让人惊奇的是，它是基于盐的。
04:03
Surprisingly, it's based on salt.
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有天，我在一个朋友的办公室工作，
04:05
One day, I was at a friend's
office at work,
office at work,
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我注意到书架上的
这本书《液体燃料反应堆》。
这本书《液体燃料反应堆》。
04:07
and I noticed this book on the shelf,
"Fluid Fuel Reactors."
"Fluid Fuel Reactors."
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我产生了兴趣，问他是否能借读。
04:10
I was interested
and asked him if I could borrow it.
and asked him if I could borrow it.
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在那本书中，我了解到美国在
04:13
Inside that book, I learned
about research in the United States
about research in the United States
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1950年代的研究，
04:16
back in the 1950s,
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一种不以固体燃料或水冷却为基础的
04:17
into a kind of reactor
that wasn't based on solid fuel
that wasn't based on solid fuel
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反应堆。
04:20
or on water-cooling.
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它没有水冷反应堆的这些问题，
04:21
It didn't have the problems
of the water-cooled reactor,
of the water-cooled reactor,
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原因很简单。
04:23
and the reason why was pretty neat.
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它使用氟化盐的混合物作为核燃料，
04:25
It used a mixture of fluoride salts
as a nuclear fuel,
as a nuclear fuel,
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也就是锂、铍、铀和钍的氟化物。
04:28
specifically, the fluorides of lithium,
beryllium, uranium and thorium.
beryllium, uranium and thorium.
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氟化盐在化学上非常稳定。
04:32
Fluoride salts are remarkably
chemically stable.
chemically stable.
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它们不会跟空气和水反应。
04:34
They do not react with air and water.
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你需要把它们加热到400摄氏度
04:37
You have to heat them up
to about 400 degrees Celsius
to about 400 degrees Celsius
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才能让它们融化。
04:39
to get them to melt.
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但这对于在核能反应堆里发电来说
04:41
But that's actually perfect
for trying to generate power
for trying to generate power
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是非常完美的。
04:43
in a nuclear reactor.
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这是真正的魔力所在：
04:44
Here's the real magic:
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它们不需要在高压下运行。
04:46
they don't have to operate
at high pressure.
at high pressure.
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这就是最大的不同。
04:48
And that makes the biggest
difference of all.
difference of all.
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这意味着你不需要用到
又重又厚的钢制压力容器，
又重又厚的钢制压力容器，
04:50
This means they don't have to be
in heavy, thick steel pressure vessels,
in heavy, thick steel pressure vessels,
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它们不需要用水来冷却，
04:54
they don't have to use water for coolant
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在反应堆里没有任何东西
04:56
and there's nothing in the reactor
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会像水一样，在密度上有大的改变。
04:57
that's going to make
a big change in density, like water.
a big change in density, like water.
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所以反应堆周围的安全壳可以小得多，
05:00
So the containment building
around the reactor
around the reactor
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也可以安装得很紧密。
05:02
can be much smaller and close-fitting.
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不像固体燃料如果停止冷却就会融化，
05:04
Unlike the solid fuels that can melt down
if you stop cooling them,
if you stop cooling them,
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这些液态氟化物燃料已经在一个
05:07
these liquid fluoride fuels
are already melted,
are already melted,
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低得多的温度下融化了。
05:09
at a much, much lower temperature.
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在正常的操作中，在反应堆容器的
05:11
In normal operation,
you have a little plug here
you have a little plug here
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底部有一个小塞子。
05:13
at the bottom of the reactor vessel.
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这个塞子是由一块冷冻盐制成的，
05:15
This plug is made
out of a piece of frozen salt
out of a piece of frozen salt
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你可以把冷却的气体吹到管子外面
05:18
that you've kept frozen
by blowing cool gas
by blowing cool gas
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来保持它的冷冻状态。
05:20
over the outside of the pipe.
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如果发生紧急情况，你失去了核电站的
05:21
If there's an emergency
and you lose all the power
and you lose all the power
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所有电力，
05:24
to your nuclear power plant,
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小鼓风机不吹了，
05:25
the little blower stops blowing,
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冻住的盐块融化了，
05:27
the frozen plug of salt melts,
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反应堆内的液态氟燃料
05:29
and the liquid fluoride fuel
inside the reactor
inside the reactor
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会从容器中通过管道排出，
05:31
drains out of the vessel, through the line
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然后进入另一个叫做排水槽的容器中。
05:33
and into another vessel
called a drain tank.
called a drain tank.
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在排水槽内部，所有的配置
都是为了最大限度地传递热量，
都是为了最大限度地传递热量，
05:35
Inside the drain tank, it's all configured
to maximize the transfer of heat,
to maximize the transfer of heat,
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使盐在其热负荷随时间下降时
05:39
so as to keep the salt passively cooled
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保持被动冷却。
05:42
as its heat load drops over time.
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在水冷反应堆中，
05:44
In water-cooled reactors,
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你通常必须为核电站提供电力，
05:45
you generally have to provide
power to the plant
power to the plant
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以保持水的循环，防止熔毁，
05:47
to keep the water circulating
and to prevent a meltdown,
and to prevent a meltdown,
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就如我们在日本福岛
核事故中看到的那样。
核事故中看到的那样。
05:50
as we saw in Japan.
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但在这个反应堆中，
如果你失去了反应堆的能量，
如果你失去了反应堆的能量，
05:52
But in this reactor,
if you lose the power to the reactor,
if you lose the power to the reactor,
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它会自动关闭，不需要人工干预，
05:55
it shuts itself down all by itself,
without human intervention,
without human intervention,
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并将其置于安全可控的配置中。
05:58
and puts itself in a safe
and controlled configuration.
and controlled configuration.
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我觉得这个想法不错，
06:01
Now, this was sounding pretty good to me,
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我对使用液态氟化反应堆
为月球社区提供能源的
为月球社区提供能源的
06:03
and I was excited about the potential
of using a liquid fluoride reactor
of using a liquid fluoride reactor
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潜力感到兴奋。
06:06
to power a lunar community.
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但后来我了解了钍，故事就变得更好了。
06:08
But then I learned about thorium,
and the story got even better.
and the story got even better.
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钍是一种天然的核燃料，
06:11
Thorium is a naturally
occurring nuclear fuel
occurring nuclear fuel
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地壳中含量是铀的四倍。
06:13
that is four times more common
in the Earth's crust than uranium.
in the Earth's crust than uranium.
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它可用于液态氟钍反应器中
06:16
It can be used in liquid fluoride
thorium reactors
thorium reactors
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产生电能、热量等有价值的产品。
06:18
to produce electrical energy, heat
and other valuable products.
and other valuable products.
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它的能量密度如此之大，
你可以把一辈子的钍能量
你可以把一辈子的钍能量
06:22
It's so energy-dense that you could hold
a lifetime supply of thorium energy
a lifetime supply of thorium energy
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储存在你的手掌里。
06:26
in the palm of your hand.
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钍在月球上也很常见，很容易找到。
06:27
Thorium is also common on the Moon
and easy to find.
and easy to find.
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这是月球上钍元素分布的真实地图。
06:30
Here's an actual map of where
the lunar thorium is located.
the lunar thorium is located.
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钍的电磁特征使得它很容易被发现，
06:33
Thorium has an electromagnetic signature
that makes it easy to find,
that makes it easy to find,
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甚至在宇宙飞船中也能发现。
06:36
even from a spacecraft.
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用液态氟钍反应堆产生的能量，
06:37
With the energy generated
from a liquid fluoride thorium reactor,
from a liquid fluoride thorium reactor,
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我们可以在月球社区中回收所有的
06:40
we could recycle all of the air,
water and waste products
water and waste products
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空气，水和废弃物。
06:43
within the lunar community.
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事实上，这样做是成功的绝对必要条件。
06:44
In fact, doing so would be
an absolute requirement for success.
an absolute requirement for success.
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即便在两周之久的月球黑夜中，
我们也可以使用
我们也可以使用
06:47
We could grow the crops needed
to feed the members of the community
to feed the members of the community
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来自反应堆的照明和电力
06:50
even during the two-week lunar night,
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来种植能满足社区所有成员的粮食。
06:52
using light and power from the reactor.
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06:54
It seemed like the liquid fluoride
thorium reactor, or LFTR,
thorium reactor, or LFTR,
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看起来液态氟钍反应堆，简称LFTR的
能源能够让自给自足的月球殖民地
06:57
could be the power source that could make
a self-sustainable lunar colony
a self-sustainable lunar colony
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成为现实。
07:01
a reality.
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但我有个简单的问题：
07:02
But I had a simple question:
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如果这对于月球社区是如此伟大的事情，
07:03
If it was such a great thing
for a community on the Moon,
for a community on the Moon,
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为什么不在地球上建立
一个社区，一个未来的社区，
一个社区，一个未来的社区，
07:06
why not a community on the Earth,
a community of the future,
a community of the future,
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一个自我维持和能源独立的社区。
07:09
self-sustaining and energy-independent?
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同样的能源生产和回收技术
07:11
The same energy generation
and recycling techniques
and recycling techniques
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可能会对在月球上生存产生强大的影响，
07:14
that could have a powerful impact
on surviving on the Moon
on surviving on the Moon
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也同样对地球的生存有强大的影响。
07:17
could also have a powerful impact
on surviving on the Earth.
on surviving on the Earth.
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现在，我们在燃烧化石燃料，
07:20
Right now, we're burning fossil fuels
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因为它们易于开采，并且因为我们能够。
07:22
because they're easy to find
and because we can.
and because we can.
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不幸的是，它们让地球的
某些部分变得像月球。
某些部分变得像月球。
07:24
Unfortunately, they're making some parts
of our planet look like the Moon.
of our planet look like the Moon.
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使用化石燃料使我们卷入了
07:28
Using fossil fuels
entangles us in conflict
entangles us in conflict
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世界不稳定地区的冲突，
07:30
in unstable regions of the world
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导致金钱和生命的损失。
07:32
and costs money and lives.
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如果我们使用钍，情况可能会大不相同。
07:34
Things could be very different
if we were using thorium.
if we were using thorium.
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可以看到，在LFTR中，
我们用钍的效率
我们用钍的效率
07:37
You see, in a LFTR, we could use thorium
about 200 times more efficiently
about 200 times more efficiently
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比今天使用的铀高200倍。
07:40
than we're using uranium now.
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因为LFTR几乎可以完全释放
07:42
And because the LFTR is capable
of almost completely releasing
of almost completely releasing
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钍的能量，
07:45
the energy in thorium,
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这减少了数百倍的铀废料，
07:46
this reduces the waste generated
over uranium by factors of hundreds,
over uranium by factors of hundreds,
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还有数百万的化石燃料。
07:50
and by factors of millions
over fossil fuels.
over fossil fuels.
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我们仍然需要为汽车
和机器提供液体燃料，
和机器提供液体燃料，
07:53
We're still going to need liquid fuels
for vehicles and machinery,
for vehicles and machinery,
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但是我们可以从大气中的
二氧化碳和水中产生
二氧化碳和水中产生
07:56
but we could generate these liquid fuels
from the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
from the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
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这些液体燃料，跟自然界中的过程一样。
08:00
and from water, much like nature does.
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我们可以通过将水分解产生氢
08:02
We could generate hydrogen
by splitting water
by splitting water
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2137
并与大气中的二氧化碳里的碳结合，
08:04
and combining it with carbon
harvested from CO2 in the atmosphere,
harvested from CO2 in the atmosphere,
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制造甲醇、氨和二甲醚等燃料，
08:07
making fuels like methanol,
ammonia, and dimethyl ether,
ammonia, and dimethyl ether,
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可以直接替代柴油。
08:11
which could be a direct replacement
for diesel fuels.
for diesel fuels.
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想象一下碳中性汽油和柴油，
08:13
Imagine carbon-neutral
gasoline and diesel,
gasoline and diesel,
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可持续和自生产。
08:16
sustainable and self-produced.
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我们有足够的钍吗？
08:19
Do we have enough thorium?
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是的，没错。
08:20
Yes, we do.
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事实上，在美国，我们50年来储存的钍
08:22
In fact, in the United States, we have
over 3,200 metric tons of thorium
over 3,200 metric tons of thorium
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就有3200吨，
08:25
that was stockpiled 50 years ago
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目前埋在内华达州的一条浅沟渠中。
08:27
and is currently buried
in a shallow trench in Nevada.
in a shallow trench in Nevada.
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这些钍，如果用在LFTR中，
08:30
This thorium, if used in LFTRs,
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它可以产生几乎相当于
全美国使用三年的能源。
全美国使用三年的能源。
08:32
could produce almost as much energy
as the United States uses in three years.
as the United States uses in three years.
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钍也不是稀有物质。
08:36
And thorium is not
a rare substance, either.
a rare substance, either.
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爱达荷州有很多这样的地方，
08:38
There are many sites
like this one in Idaho,
like this one in Idaho,
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一个足球场那么大的区域
每年就能生产出足够的钍
每年就能生产出足够的钍
08:40
where an area the size of a football field
would produce enough thorium each year
would produce enough thorium each year
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来为整个世界供能。
08:44
to power the entire world.
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采用液态氟钍技术，
08:45
Using liquid fluoride thorium technology,
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我们可以摆脱目前水冷、
08:47
we could move away from
expensive and difficult aspects
expensive and difficult aspects
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固体燃料铀核电昂贵和困难的一面。
08:50
of current water-cooled, solid-fueled
uranium nuclear power.
uranium nuclear power.
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我们不需要大的，高压的核反应堆
08:53
We wouldn't need large,
high-pressure nuclear reactors
high-pressure nuclear reactors
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和大型围堵建筑。
08:56
and big containment buildings
that they go in.
that they go in.
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我们不需要大型、低效的汽轮机。
08:58
We wouldn't need large,
low-efficiency steam turbines.
low-efficiency steam turbines.
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我们不要拥有
09:01
We wouldn't need to have
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长途输电基础设施，
09:02
as many long-distance power
transmission infrastructure,
transmission infrastructure,
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因为钍是一种非常便携的能源，
09:05
because thorium is
a very portable energy source
a very portable energy source
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可以被直接运送到需要它们的地方。
09:07
that can be located
near to where it is needed.
near to where it is needed.
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液态氟钍反应堆将是一个紧凑的设施，
09:10
A liquid fluoride thorium reactor
would be a compact facility,
would be a compact facility,
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非常节能和安全，
09:13
very energy-efficient and safe,
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将产生我们日常所需的能量，
09:15
that would produce the energy
we need day and night,
we need day and night,
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而无需考虑天气条件。
09:17
and without respect to weather conditions.
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2007年，我们使用了50亿煤，
09:19
In 2007, we used
five billion tons of coal,
five billion tons of coal,
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310亿桶石油，
09:22
31 billion barrels of oil
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和5万亿立方米的天然气，
09:24
and five trillion cubic meters
of natural gas,
of natural gas,
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09:26
along with 65,000 tons of uranium
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还有65000吨铀
来生产全世界所需的能源。
09:29
to produce the world's energy.
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有了钍，我们在一个地点
09:31
With thorium, we could do the same thing
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开采7000吨的钍就能做到同样的事情。
09:33
with 7,000 tons of thorium
that could be mined at a single site.
that could be mined at a single site.
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如果你们对这些很有兴趣，
欢迎访问我们的站网站，
欢迎访问我们的站网站，
09:37
If all this sounds interesting to you,
I invite you to visit our website,
I invite you to visit our website,
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那里有一个日益壮大、
热情高涨的钍在线社区，
热情高涨的钍在线社区，
09:40
where a growing and enthusiastic
online community of thorium advocates
online community of thorium advocates
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致力于告诉世界我们如何
才能实现清洁、安全
才能实现清洁、安全
09:43
is working to tell the world
about how we can realize a clean, safe
about how we can realize a clean, safe
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和可持续的，基于钍的
09:47
and sustainable energy future,
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未来能源。
09:49
based on the energies of thorium.
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谢谢。
（鼓掌）
（鼓掌）
09:51
Thank you very much.
(Applause)
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kirk Sorensen - Engineer, nuclear technologistKirk Sorensen stumbled across thorium while doing research on how to power a lunar community. Thorium is a cleaner, safer, and more abundant nuclear fuel -- one that Kirk believes will revolutionize how we produce our energy.
Why you should listen
Kirk Sorensen began his work with thorium while working as an aerospace engineer at NASA. In 2010, he left NASA to work as the chief nuclear technologist at Teledyne Brown Engineering. In 2011, he founded Flibe, a company focused on developing modular thorium reactors.
Kirk Sorensen | Speaker | TED.com