Molten-Salt-Reactor Technology Gaps

Conference · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2006

OSTI ID:21021093

Forsberg, Charles W ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (United States)

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are liquid-fuel reactors that can be used for producing electricity or hydrogen as well as burning actinides and producing fissile fuels (breeding). Fissile, fertile, and fission products are dissolved in a high-temperature molten fluoride salt with a very high boiling temperature ({approx}1400 deg C). The fuel salt flows through a reactor core, where fission occurs within the flowing salt; through an intermediate heat exchanger; and back to the reactor core. An intermediate heat-transfer loop transports the heat to a turbine hall or to a hydrogen production facility. Two experimental reactors were successfully built in the 1950's and 1960's. MSRs are being reexamined today because of their unique fuel cycle capabilities and safety characteristics. A technology gap analysis has been initiated to understand technological challenges for development and deployment. Some technology challenges have been resolved by new technologies that did not exist in the early 1970's when the program was shut down. Other technological challenges remain. Six areas (power cycles, fuel inventories, noble metal plate-out, fuel storage, high-level waste forms, and peak reactor temperatures) were examined. The results of the analysis are summarized. (author)

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 21021093
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
ACTINIDES
BOILING
BREEDING
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FISSION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FLUORIDES
FUEL CYCLE
HEAT
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROGEN
LIQUID FUELS
MOLTEN SALT REACTORS
MOLTEN SALTS
REACTOR CORES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
TURBINES