The liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR) is a type of molten salt nuclear reactor that uses the thorium fuel cycle with a fluoride-based, molten, liquid salt for fuel. In a LFTR, thorium and uranium-233 are dissolved in carrier salts, forming a liquid fuel. In a typical operation, the liquid is pumped between a critical core and an external heat exchanger where the heat is transferred to a nonradioactive secondary salt. The secondary salt then transfers its heat to a turbine (usually steam).
LFTRs differ from traditional light water nuclear power reactors in many respects: they use predominantly thorium rather than uranium, operate at low pressure, receive fuel by continuous pumping, entail no risk of nuclear meltdown, use a salt coolant and produce higher, more efficient operating temperatures. They fuel cycle also produce wastes but in far less quantity than traditional reactors producing long lived actinides. LFTR wastes decay to background levels in less than 300 years.
LFTRs differ from traditional light water nuclear power reactors in many respects: they use predominantly thorium rather than uranium, operate at low pressure, receive fuel by continuous pumping, entail no risk of nuclear meltdown, use a salt coolant and produce higher, more efficient operating temperatures. They fuel cycle also produce wastes but in far less quantity than traditional reactors producing long lived actinides. LFTR wastes decay to background levels in less than 300 years.