Graphite and Xenon Behavior and their Influence on Molten-Salt Reactor Design

Scott, D.; Eatherly, W.P.

doi:10.13182/nt70-a28624

Cited by 36 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The liquid fuel was circulated through a core of graphite bars which acted as moderator. Studies by Scott and Eatherly [4] showed that an average core power density of 22.2 kW/l (operating condition of MSBR design) would result in a graphite lifetime of approximately 4 years. The reactor design must provide for periodic replacement of the core graphite with minimal plant downtime and complexity of maintenance equipment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reactor physic and reprocessing scheme for innovative molten salt reactor system

Delpech

Merle

Heuer

et al. 2009

Journal of Fluorine Chemistry

207

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reactor physic and reprocessing scheme for innovative molten salt reactor system

Delpech

Merle

Heuer

et al. 2009

Journal of Fluorine Chemistry

207

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“…Krypton and Xenon are the most important fission gases to be considered in the reactor off‐gas system . Because of the low solubility of Kr and Xe in the primary salt, most of the gases will eventually emerge into the gas plenum above the salt pool, and some of the gas can also diffuse into the structural materials, for example, graphite …”

Section: Impurities Contamination Mechanisms and Available Removal mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impurities in Primary Coolant Salt of FHRs: Chemistry, Impact, and Removal Methods

Zhang

2019

Energy Tech

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The fluoride salt‐cooled high‐temperature reactor (FHR) is one of the Gen. IV reactor concepts. Considering the complexity of salt chemistry, radiation risk, impurity‐induced material corrosion, and impurity‐induced solid precipitation, the salt chemistry should be well controlled. Therefore, molten salt cleanup systems are needed in operation. Based on the experience of molten salt reactors (MSRs) and available data, the present study identifies the types of impurities, their potential sources, and their impact in FHR primary coolants. Cleanup methods for each type of impurity and future research activities are also discussed.

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“…The graphite assemblies directly contact the high‐irradiation molten salt, which is not easy to replace, posing significant technical challenges to the maintenance of an MSR. In addition, the extra shutdown times caused by the replacement of graphite assemblies would not be beneficial to the economics of a reactor, which could, of course, be mitigated to some extent by ensuring that the shutdown time for regular maintenance and repair of the reactor is consistent with that for graphite replacement 8 . Thus, improving the lifespan of the graphite assemblies would be of importance to reduce the difficulty of maintenance and to improve the economic performance of SM‐MSR.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, improving the lifespan of the graphite assemblies would be of importance to reduce the difficulty of maintenance and to improve the economic performance of SM‐MSR. The graphite lifespan is mainly affected by the fast neutron fluence and irradiation temperatures in MSRs 8‐10 . As shown in Figure 1, as the neutron fluence increases, the dimension of graphite will first shrink to the minimum size and then appear a turnaround to rapidly expand 11 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new structure design to extend graphite assembly lifespan in small modular molten salt reactors

et al. 2021

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Summary Dimensional change of the graphite assemblies due to irradiation is a key factor in limiting the service lifespan of the reactor core in small modular molten salt reactors. The graphite assembly structure, determining the fast neutron flux distribution and temperature distribution, has a notable impact on its dimensional change and hence its lifespan. In this article, we put forward an innovative solid hexagonal prism assembly (HPA) surrounded by fuel salt to prolong the lifespan of the graphite assemblies and compare it with the traditional hexagonal round channel assembly (RCA) with fuel salt flowing through its central round channel. Under the single‐cell model, the calculation results prove that the neutron flux distribution and temperature distribution in the HPA are more uniform than those in the RCA. The HPA deforms more slowly than the RCA under the same operating conditions. The lifespan of the RCA, defined as when it expands back to its original size, is 7.5 years under the 100 MW/m3 power density of fuel salt, while the lifespan of the proposed HPA is 8.4 years. The HPAs also allow a further expansion in the radial direction due to its noncontact arrangement in the core. It will take 14.9 years for the HPA assemblies to contact each other, which displays a significant improvement in lifespan.

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Graphite and Xenon Behavior and their Influence on Molten-Salt Reactor Design

Cited by 36 publications

References 7 publications

Reactor physic and reprocessing scheme for innovative molten salt reactor system

Reactor physic and reprocessing scheme for innovative molten salt reactor system

Impurities in Primary Coolant Salt of FHRs: Chemistry, Impact, and Removal Methods

A new structure design to extend graphite assembly lifespan in small modular molten salt reactors

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