Why is it in the news?
Visakhapatnam has been selected to host a high-energy proton accelerator system to support India’s nuclear programme.
The project aims to harness India’s thorium reserves through Accelerator-Driven Systems.
Category: S&T
Important Points:
● The project is being developed by the Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore.
● A high-energy proton accelerator uses electromagnetic fields to accelerate protons to extremely high speeds.
● The accelerated proton beam strikes a heavy metal target such as lead or bismuth.
● This collision produces a spallation reaction releasing large numbers of neutrons.
● These neutrons trigger nuclear fission reactions to generate energy.
● In Accelerator-Driven Systems, neutrons from the accelerator supply energy to a sub-critical reactor core.
● The system is safer because the nuclear reaction stops automatically if the accelerator shuts down.
● India possesses about 25% of the world’s thorium reserves.
● Thorium-232 can be converted into Uranium-233, a fissile fuel used for nuclear power generation.