Two-Dimensional Neutronic and Fuel Cycle Analysis of the Transatomic Power Molten Salt Reactor

Technical Report · Sun Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2017

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1340461· OSTI ID:1340461

Betzler, Benjamin R. ^[1]; Powers, Jeffrey J. ^[1]; Worrall, Andrew ^[1]; Robertson, Sean ^[2]; Dewan, Leslie ^[2]; Massie, Mark ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division
2. Transatomic Power Corporation, Cambridge, MA (United States)

This status report presents the results from the first phase of the collaboration between Transatomic Power Corporation (TAP) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to provide neutronic and fuel cycle analysis of the TAP core design through the Department of Energy Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear, Nuclear Energy Voucher program. The TAP design is a molten salt reactor using movable moderator rods to shift the neutron spectrum in the core from mostly epithermal at beginning of life to thermal at end of life. Additional developments in the ChemTriton modeling and simulation tool provide the critical moderator-to-fuel ratio searches and time-dependent parameters necessary to simulate the continuously changing physics in this complex system. Results from simulations with these tools show agreement with TAP-calculated performance metrics for core lifetime, discharge burnup, and salt volume fraction, verifying the viability of reducing actinide waste production with this design. Additional analyses of time step sizes, mass feed rates and enrichments, and isotopic removals provide additional information to make informed design decisions. This work further demonstrates capabilities of ORNL modeling and simulation tools for analysis of molten salt reactor designs and strongly positions this effort for the upcoming three-dimensional core analysis.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN). Nuclear Energy Voucher Program
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1340461
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-2016/742; TRN: US1701507
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
REACTOR DESIGN
MOLTEN SALT REACTORS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
NUCLEAR FUELS
REACTOR KINETICS
FUEL CYCLE
NEUTRON SPECTRA
SPECTRAL SHIFT
TIME DEPENDENCE
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
MODERATORS
BURNUP
ENRICHMENT
LIFETIME
PERFORMANCE
REACTOR CORES