Development and Demonstration of a Prototype Molten Salt Sampling System

Harkema, Megan; Krahn, Steven; Marotta, Paul; Burak, Adam; Sun, Xiaodong; Sabharwall, Piyush

doi:10.1080/00295450.2025.2480982

Development and Demonstration of a Prototype Molten Salt Sampling System

Journal Article · Fri May 30 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Nuclear Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2025.2480982· OSTI ID:2568786

^[1]; Krahn, Steven ^[1]; Marotta, Paul ^[1]; Burak, Adam ^[2]; Sun, Xiaodong ^[2]; Sabharwall, Piyush ^[3]

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) offer potential operability and safety advantages when compared to commercial light water reactors (LWRs). However, operating experience with MSRs is sparse in comparison to what exists for LWRs. Further, the chemical and isotopic composition of the fuel and/or coolant salt is dynamic and difficult to characterize continuously, posing potential safety, operability, and safeguards unknowns that need to be addressed. A molten salt sampling system (MSSS) is regarded as a necessary subsystem within first generation MSRs used to obtain samples of salt for chemical and isotopic analysis in support of the need to monitor and control salt composition during operation. The MSSS is being developed using the Safety-in-Design (SiD) methodology, which incorporates incremental integration of safety analysis into the design process. The MSSS conceptual design emerging from the application of the early stages of the SiD methodology consists of a sample collection system and its housing, a freeze port, and inert gas control and delivery systems. This article describes the prototypes developed to test the functions of these MSSS subsystems, presents the results of testing in both dry and molten salt environments (including reliability data collection performed in accordance with the principles of SiD and the development of a semiquantitative fault tree model), and summarizes the opportunities for future design and testing enhancements based on the results of prototype testing.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: NE0000646; NE0008905

OSTI ID:: 2568786

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2324780

Journal Information:: Nuclear Technology, Journal Name: Nuclear Technology; ISSN 0029-5450; ISSN 1943-7471

Publisher:: Taylor & FrancisCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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