Comparative Study of Basic Reactor Physics of the DFR Concept Using U-Pu and TRU Fuel Salts

Author(s):  
Xiang Wang ◽  
Rafael Macian-Juan

The Dual Fluid Reactor (DFR) is a molten salt fast reactor developed by the IFK1 based on the Gen-IV Molten-Salt Reactor (MSR) and the Liquid-Metal Cooled Reactor (SFR, LFR) concepts. The analysis reported focuses on the comparison between previous neutronic calculations with the default fuel salt of U-Pu mixture and new ones with a transuranium (TRU) salt fuel option under steady state conditions. They include criticality, neutron spectrum, spatial flux distribution and temperature coefficient values. Fuel based on molten TRU salts has already been considered for the MSFR and other molten salt reactor designs. Therefore, the DFR for the first time has a comparable baseline with other molten salt reactors, so that its performance with TRU salt fuel can be assessed.

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 624-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhang Da-Lin ◽  
Qiu Sui-Zheng ◽  
Liu Chang-Liang ◽  
Su Guang-Hui

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry J. Price ◽  
Ondrej Chvala

Abstract Due to the circulating nature of the fuel, there is a qualitative difference between xenon behavior in a molten salt reactor (MSR) compared to a solid fuel reactor. Therefore, the equations that describe 135Xe behavior in a molten salt reactor must be formulated differently. Prior molten salt reactor xenon models have focused on behavior below a solubility limit in which the 135Xe is partially dissolved in the fuel salt. It is foreseeable that a molten salt reactor may operate with a concentration of gas dissolved in the salt sufficiently high such that no further gas may dissolve in the fuel salt. This paper introduces a theory of molten salt reactor xenon behavior for a reactor operating above the solubility limit. A model was developed based on this theory and analyses performed are discussed. Results indicate: (1) steady-state xenon poisoning is not monotonic with respect to gas egress rate, (2) a increase in gas ingress rate leads to a characteristic increase which is followed by a new steady-state in xenon poisoning, and (3) given a sufficient rate of gas egress, it is possible to remove the iodine pit behavior.


Author(s):  
Takahisa Yamamoto ◽  
Koshi Mitachi ◽  
Takashi Suzuki

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is a thermal neutron reactor with graphite moderation and operates on the thorium-uranium fuel cycle. The feature of the MSR is that fuel salt flows the inside of the reactor accompanying nuclear fission reaction. In the previous study, the authors had developed numerical model to simulate the effects of the fuel salt flow on the reactor characteristics. This paper applies the model to the steady state analysis of the small MSR system and estimates the effects of the fuel flow. The model consists of two group diffusion equations for fast and thermal neutron fluxes, balance equations for six-group delayed neutron precursors and energy conservation equations for fuel salt and graphite moderator. The following results are obtained: (1) the fuel salt flow affects the distributions of the delayed neutron precursors, especially long-lived one, and (2) the extension of residence time in the external loop system and the rise of fuel inflow temperature slightly show negative reactivity effects, decreasing neutron multiplication factor of the small MSR system.


Author(s):  
Chen Qi-chang ◽  
Si Sheng-yi ◽  
Zhao Jin-kun ◽  
Bei Hua

In order to improve the breeding ratio and core safety, new thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR) core is designed. The new designed TMSR core is composed of hexagon moderator elements, which contain SiC tube to form a central fuel channel and employs BeO as moderator. The composition of the fuel salt, adopted in this core, is also optimized. Based on this core design, steady state and transient safety characteristic of TMSR are preliminarily analyzed using coupled multi-physics code. Power/temperature distribution and reactivity coefficients are analyzed for the steady state core, which demonstrated that the core has flat temperature distribution and large negative power coefficients at all power level. Transient simulations are carried out for power start-up, pump speed variation, loss of heat sink and so forth, the temperature and power response are also analyzed. The results indicate that the TMSR core power and temperature are closely related to the control rod position, velocity of flow and composition of fuel salt, and the new designed TMSR has excellent performance of safety under various operating conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 109 (5) ◽  
pp. 357-365
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Cheng ◽  
Zhongqi Zhao ◽  
Junxia Geng ◽  
Xiaohe Wang ◽  
Jifeng Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract To develop the application of 95Nb as an indicator of redox potential for fuel salt in molten salt reactor (MSR), the specific activity of 95Nb in FLiBe salt and its deposition of 95Nb on Hastelloy C276 have been studied. Experimental results indicated that the amount of 95Nb deposited on Hastelloy C276 resulted from its chemical reduction exhibited a positive correlation with the decrease of 95Nb activity in FLiBe salt and the relative deposition coefficient of 95Nb to 103Ru appeared a well correlation with 95Nb activity in FLiBe salt. Both correlations implied that the measurement of 95Nb activity deposited on Hastelloy C276 specimen might provide a quantitative approach for monitoring the redox potential of fuel salt in MSR.


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