Molten salt fast reactor with U–Pu fuel cycle

This paper describes the neutronic benchmarks and the results obtained by the various participants of the FP7 project EVOL and the ROSATOM project MARS. The aim of the benchmarks was two-fold: first to verify and validate each of the code packages of the project partners, adapted for liquid-fueled reactors, and second to check the dependence of the core characteristics to nuclear data set for application on a molten salt fast reactor (MSFR). The MSFR operates with the thorium fuel cycle and can be started with 233U-enriched U and/or TRU elements as initial fissile load. All three compositions were covered by the present benchmark. The calculations have confirmed that the MSFR has very favorable characteristics not present in other Gen4 fast reactors, like strong negative temperature and void reactivity coefficients, a low-fissile inventory, a reduced long-lived waste production and its burning capacities of nuclear waste produced in currently operational reactors.

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Preliminary proliferation study of the molten salt fast reactor

EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies ◽

10.1051/epjn/2019062 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michel Allibert ◽

Elsa Merle ◽

Sylvie Delpech ◽

Delphine Gerardin ◽

Daniel Heuer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molten Salt ◽

Fast Reactor ◽

Molten Salts ◽

Fuel Cycle ◽

Power Reactor ◽

Nuclear Material ◽

Reactor System ◽

Molten Salt Reactor ◽

International Forum ◽

Large Power

The molten salt reactor designs, where fissile and fertile materials are dissolved in molten salts, under consideration in the framework of the Generation IV International Forum, present some unusual characteristics in terms of design, operation, safety and also proliferation resistance issues. This paper has the main objective of presenting some proliferation challenges for the reference version of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR), a large power reactor based on the thorium fuel cycle. Preliminary studies of proliferation resistance are presented here, dedicated to the threat of nuclear material diversion in the MSFR, considering both the reactor system itself and the processing units located onsite.

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Molten salt fast reactor SAMOFAR: Safety issues of the chemical plant

EPJ Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/epjconf/202023922004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 239 ◽

pp. 22004

Author(s):

Anthony Marchix ◽

Manon Dieuaide

Keyword(s):

Molten Salt ◽

Fast Reactor ◽

Safety Assessment ◽

Fuel Cycle ◽

Chemical Plant ◽

International Forum ◽

Safety Issues ◽

Decay Heat

The concept of Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) has been selecting by the Generation IV International forum as it presents interesting features in terms of safety, sustainability and economics. SAMOFAR project aims to provide the safety assessment of the MSFR concept based on the Thorium fuel cycle. This document provides the radiological assessments for the chemical plant, including shielding requirements and decay heat evaluations.

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Current Status of the Development of the Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle in India

Revue Générale Nucléaire ◽

10.1051/rgn/20096120 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 120-126

Author(s):

K.V. Govindan Kutty ◽

P.R. Vasudeva Rao ◽

Baldev Raj

Keyword(s):

Fast Reactor ◽

Fuel Cycle ◽

Reactor Fuel ◽

Current Status ◽

Fast Reactor Fuel

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A feasibility study of a liquid shutdown system for a single-fluid molten salt fast reactor

Nuclear Engineering and Design ◽

10.1016/j.nucengdes.2021.111053 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 111053

Author(s):

J. Fradera ◽

P. Alberto ◽

G. Moya ◽

A. Bernad ◽

A. Fernández

Keyword(s):

Molten Salt ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Fast Reactor

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Definition of model-based control strategies for the Molten Salt Fast Reactor nuclear power plant

Nuclear Engineering and Design ◽

10.1016/j.nucengdes.2020.111015 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 373 ◽

pp. 111015

Author(s):

Claudio Tripodo ◽

Stefano Lorenzi ◽

Antonio Cammi

Keyword(s):

Power Plant ◽

Nuclear Power Plant ◽

Molten Salt ◽

Fast Reactor ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Model Based Control ◽

Model Based ◽

Definition Of

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Preliminary uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor steady-state using a Polynomial Chaos Expansion method

Annals of Nuclear Energy ◽

10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108311 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 159 ◽

pp. 108311

Author(s):

Mario Santanoceto ◽

Marco Tiberga ◽

Zoltán Perkó ◽

Sandra Dulla ◽

Danny Lathouwers

Keyword(s):

Sensitivity Analysis ◽

Steady State ◽

Molten Salt ◽

Fast Reactor ◽

Polynomial Chaos ◽

Expansion Method ◽

Polynomial Chaos Expansion ◽

Chaos Expansion ◽

Uncertainty And Sensitivity Analysis

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On the Dimensions Required for a Molten Salt Zero Power Reactor Operating on Chloride Salts

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11156673 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 6673

Author(s):

Bruno Merk ◽

Anna Detkina ◽

Seddon Atkinson ◽

Dzianis Litskevich ◽

Gregory Cartland-Glover

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metal ◽

Molten Salt ◽

Spent Nuclear Fuel ◽

Fuel Cycle ◽

Power Reactor ◽

Modelling And Simulation ◽

Advanced Technology ◽

Electricity Production ◽

Eutectic System ◽

Low Carbon

Molten salt reactors have gained substantial interest in the last years due to their flexibility and their potential for simplified closed fuel cycle operation for massive expansion in low-carbon electricity production, which will be required for a future net-zero society. The importance of a zero-power reactor for the process of developing a new, innovative rector concept, such as that required for the molten salt fast reactor based on iMAGINE technology, which operates directly on spent nuclear fuel, is described here. It is based on historical developments as well as the current demand for experimental results and key factors that are relevant to the success of the next step in the development process of all innovative reactor types. In the systematic modelling and simulation of a zero-power molten salt reactor, the radius and the feedback effects are studied for a eutectic based system, while a heavy metal rich chloride-based system are studied depending on the uranium enrichment accompanied with the effects on neutron flux spectrum and spatial distribution. These results are used to support the relevant decision for the narrowing down of the configurations supported by considerations on cost and proliferation for the follow up 3-D analysis. The results provide for the first time a systematic modelling and simulation approach for a new reactor physics experiment for an advanced technology. The expected core volumes for these configurations have been studied using multi-group and continuous energy Monte-Carlo simulations identifying the 35% enriched systems as the most attractive. This finally leads to the choice of heavy metal rich compositions with 35% enrichment as the reference system for future studies of the next steps in the zero power reactor investigation. An alternative could be the eutectic system in the case the increased core diameter is manageable. The inter-comparison of the different applied codes and approaches available in the SCALE package has delivered a very good agreement between the results, creating trust into the developed and used models and methods.

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