Development for Integrated System-Level Analysis Capabilities in SAM for Molten Salt Reactors

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2025

OSTI ID:3003281

Hu, Rui; Mui, Travis; Salko, Robert K.; Fei, Tingzhou; O'Grady, Daniel; Zou, Ling; Yang, Huihua; Ji, Wei

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) for their potential advantages compared to reactors that rely on solid fuel. In response to such interest, many methods and codes have been developed to capture the unique features of MSRs. Among them, the System Analysis Module (SAM) is a modern system analysis tool that provides fast-running, modest-fidelity, whole-plant transient analysis capabilities, essential for fast-turnaround design scoping and engineering analyses of advanced reactor concepts. For liquid-fuel MSRs, the complex physics and chemistry involved in MSR operation—such as reactor kinetics, fluid flow, heat transfer, and salt composition dynamics—pose significant challenges for system-level modeling. Specific modeling capabilities are needed for system-level transient simulation. This paper presents recent advancements in SAM capability enhancements for system-level modeling of MSRs, focusing on improved simulation fidelity, computational efficiency, and multi-physics integration. Key enhancements include the development of species transport, Delayed Neutron Precursor (DNP) drift, modified Point Kinetics Equations (PKE), decay heat modeling, key fission product behavior, salt corrosion, and thermal-hydraulic coupling, as well as code robustness and performance enhancements for MSR applications. The code enhancement allows for better predictive accuracy in safety analysis, transient behavior, and operational optimization, thus supporting the design and licensing of next-generation MSRs. Results from case studies are presented to demonstrate the benefits of these enhancements in accurately capturing key reactor transient behaviors.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy - Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 3003281
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English