Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy

2nd Edition - January 24, 2024
Editors: Thomas James Dolan, Imre Pazsit, Andrei Rykhlevskii, Ritsuo Yoshioka
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 9 3 5 5 - 5
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 9 3 5 6 - 2

Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy, Second Edition is a fully updated comprehensive reference on the latest advances in MSR research and technology. Building on the successfu… Read more

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Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy, Second Edition is a fully updated comprehensive reference on the latest advances in MSR research and technology. Building on the successful first edition, Tom Dolan and the team of experts have fully updated the content to reflect the impressive advances from the last 5 years, ensuring this book continues to be the go-to reference on the topic. This new edition covers progress made in MSR design, details innovative experiments, and includes molten salt data, corrosion studies and deployment plans. The successful case studies section of the first edition have been removed, expanded, and fully updated, and are now published in a companion title called Global Case Studies on Molten Salt Reactors.

Readers will gain a deep understanding of the advantages and challenges of MSR development and thorium fuel use, as well as step-by-step guidance on the latest in MSR reactor design. Each chapter provides a clear introduction, covers technical issues and includes examples and conclusions, while promoting the sustainability benefits throughout.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
List of contributors
Preface to the second edition
Preface to the first edition
Part 1: Applications
Chapter 1. Introduction
Abstract
Table of Contents
1.1 Need for molten salt reactor
1.2 Molten salt reactor origin and research curtailment
1.3 Molten salt reactor activities
1.4 Fissile fuels
1.5 Thorium fuel advantages
1.6 Liquid fuel molten salt reactor
1.7 Advantages of liquid fuel molten salt reactor
1.8 Molten salt reactor development issues
1.9 Tritium issues
References
Chapter 2. Electricity production
Abstract
Table of Contents
2.1 Electricity production
2.2 Energy storage for electricity production
2.3 Heat engines
2.4 Rankine cycle (steam turbines)
2.5 Helium Brayton cycles
2.6 Supercritical CO2 Brayton cycles
2.7 Metal vapor binary cycles
2.8 Nuclear air Brayton power cycles
2.9 Summary
References
Chapter 3. Other applications
Abstract
Table of Contents
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Remote power sources
3.3 Heat exchangers
3.4 High-temperature commercial applications
3.5 Actinide burning
3.6 Medical isotopes
3.7 Desalination
3.8 Optical applications
3.9 Summary and conclusions
Acknowledgment
References
Part 2: Technical issues
Chapter 4. Molten salt reactor physics: characterization, neutronic performance, multiphysics coupling, and reduced-order modeling
Abstract
Table of Contents
4.1 Molten salt reactor characterization and neutronic performance
4.2 Molten salt reactor multiphysics coupling and reduced-order modeling
References
Chapter 5. Kinetics, dynamics, and neutron noise in stationary molten salt reactors
Abstract
Table of Contents
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The molten salt reactor model
5.3 The static equations
5.4 Space-time-dependent transient during startup
5.5 Dynamic equations in the frequency domain: neutron noise
5.6 The point kinetic approximation and the point kinetic component
5.7 The neutron noise in a molten salt reactor, induced by propagating perturbations
5.8 Conclusions
Acknowledgment
References
Chapter 6. Thermal hydraulic analysis of liquid-fueled molten salt reactors
Abstract
Table of Contents
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Preliminary approach to thermohydraulics of internally heated molten salts
6.3 Heat transfer and pressure losses
6.4 Effects of internal heat generation on natural circulation stability
6.5 Conclusions
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
References
Chapter 7. Materials
Abstract
Table of Contents
7.1 Molten salt
7.2 Solid fuels with molten salt coolants
7.3 Thorium fuel cycle
7.4 Moderators
7.5 Structural materials
7.6 Corrosion of materials in molten salts
7.7 Conclusions
References
Chapter 8. Physical–chemical properties of molten salts and chemical technology of MSR fuel cycle
Abstract
Table of Contents
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Fundamental physical–chemical properties of molten salts
8.3 Chemical technology of molten salt reactor fuel cycle
8.4 Historical overview of partitioning technology with the relation to molten salt reactor
References
Chapter 9. Environment, waste, and resources
Abstract
Table of Contents
9.1 Decay heat in thorium cycle
9.2 Radiotoxicity in the thorium cycle
9.3 Nuclear waste from ThorCon type reactors
9.4 Resource utilization
9.5 Summary
References
Chapter 10. Proliferation resistance and physical protection of molten salt reactor
Abstract
Table of Contents
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Discussion of methodologies and associated metrics and barriers
10.3 Proliferation resistance of molten salt reactor
10.4 Physical protection of molten salt reactor
10.5 Conclusion
Acknowledgment
References
Part 3: Reactor types
Chapter 11. Liquid fuel, thermal neutron spectrum reactors
Abstract
Table of Contents
11.1 Development of molten-salt reactor at ORNL
11.2 Current molten-salt reactor designs after ORNL (FUJI)
11.3 Safety concept of the molten-salt reactor
11.4 Safety criteria of the molten-salt reactor
11.5 Molten-salt reactor accident analysis
11.6 Regulatory guide for molten-salt reactor safety design
11.7 Regulatory guide for molten-salt reactor safety assessment
11.8 Transient and safety analysis code DYMOS
11.9 Daily load following operation
11.10 Micro-sized molten-salt reactor (miniFUJI II)
References
Chapter 12. Fast-spectrum, liquid-fueled reactors
Abstract
Table of Contents
12.1 Carrier salt for the fast molten-salt reactor
12.2 U–Pu fast molten-salt reactor based on FLiNaK
12.3 Feasibility of the U–Pu fast-spectrum molten-salt reactors using (Li, Na, K)F–UF4–TRUF3 fuel salts
12.4 Acknowledgments
12.5 Adsorption from the LiF–NaF–KF melt
References
Chapter 13. Solid fuel, salt-cooled reactors
Abstract
Table of Contents
13.1 Introduction: definition of the fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor concept
13.2 FHR designs: pool versus loop, fuel element shape, and power
13.3 Plant-level features
13.4 Phenomenology unique to FHRs
13.5 Thermal-hydraulics
13.6 Chemistry and corrosion control
13.7 Neutronics
13.8 Tritium management
13.9 Safety analysis and licensing strategy
13.10 Summary
References
Further reading
Chapter 14. Static liquid fuel reactors
Abstract
Table of Contents
14.1 Pumped versus static fuel molten salt reactor
14.2 Potential advantages of static-fueled reactors
14.3 Convective heat transfer in molten fuel salt
14.4 Fuel tube materials
14.5 Fission products and gases
14.6 Static molten salt-fueled reactor options
14.7 Thermal spectrum static molten salt reactors
14.8 Fuel cycle for stable salt reactors
14.9 Global mix of static-fueled molten salt reactors
References
Chapter 15. Accelerator-driven systems
Abstract
Table of Contents
15.1 Introduction to accelerator-driven systems
15.2 Accelerator molten salt breeder
15.3 Fast subcritical molten salt reactor for minor actinide incineration
15.4 Main characteristics of the subcritical molten salt reactor-B
15.5 Low-energy linear accelerator-driven subcritical assembly
15.6 MYRRHA, demonstration of accelerator-driven system
15.7 Molten salt fuel accelerator-driven system
15.8 Laser-driven subcritical Th-molten salt reactor
15.9 Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter 16. Fusion-fission hybrids
Abstract
Table of Contents
16.1 Energy needs
16.2 Fast breeder reactors
16.3 Fusion-fission hybrids
16.4 Thorium fuel cycle
16.5 Nuclear energy system
16.6 Actinide incineration
16.7 Molten salt hybrid tokamak
References
Part 4: Reactor designs
Chapter 17. Thorium molten salt reactor nuclear energy system
Abstract
Table of Contents
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Liquid-fueled thorium molten salt reactor
17.3 Solid-fueled thorium molten salt reactor
17.4 Summary
Chapter 18. Integral molten salt reactor
Abstract
Table of Contents
18.1 Introduction
18.2 Description of nuclear systems
18.3 Description of safety concept
18.4 Proliferation defenses
18.5 Safety and security (physical protection)
18.6 Description of turbine generator systems
18.7 Electrical and I&C systems
18.8 Spent fuel and waste management
18.9 Plant layout
18.10 Plant performance
18.11 Development status of technologies relevant to the power generation
18.12 Deployment status and planned schedule
Appendix: Summarized technical data
Further reading
Chapter 19. ThorCon reactor
Abstract
Table of Contents
19.1 Need for deployment
19.2 Modular power plant
19.3 Power conversion
19.4 Safety features
19.5 Maintenance
19.6 Molten salt reactor experiment versus coal
19.7 Construction speed
References
Chapter 20. Severe accident modeling and safety assessment for fluid-fuel energy reactors
Abstract
Table of Contents
20.1 Objectives of the project
20.2 The concept of the molten salt fast reactor
20.3 Main research themes
20.4 The SAMOSAFER consortium
Reference
Chapter 21. Stable salt fast reactor
Abstract
Table of Contents
21.1 Design principles
21.2 Design outline
21.3 Fuel salt
21.4 Primary coolant salt
21.5 Secondary heat transfer loop and steam island
21.6 Fuel management and refueling
21.7 Neutronics and reactivity control
21.8 Decay heat removal
21.9 Waste and spent fuel management
21.10 Breeding potential
21.11 Conclusions
Reference
Chapter 22. EXODYS Fast-Chloride Molten Salt Reactor
Abstract
Table of Contents
22.1 Introduction
22.2 Description of the nuclear systems
22.3 Safety systems
22.4 Salt chemistry systems
22.5 Plant configuration and operation
22.6 Summary
References
Chapter 23. Copenhagen atomics waste burner
Abstract
Table of Contents
23.1 Reactor design choices
23.2 Mechanical design choices
23.3 Recycling of used nuclear fuel
23.4 Molten salt reactor engineering
23.5 Molten salt reactor research
23.6 “Prime minister safety”
Reference
Chapter 24. Seaborg technologies ApS—compact molten salt reactor power barge
Abstract
Table of Contents
24.1 Introduction
24.2 Design description
24.3 Plant arrangement
24.4 Plant economics
Reference
Chapter 25. Dual-fluid reactor
Abstract
Table of Contents
25.1 The dual-fluid technology
25.2 Fuel cycle: the pyroprocessing unit
25.3 Applications
25.4 Electricity production
25.5 Synthetic fuels
25.6 Hydrazine for combustion and fuel cells
25.7 Silane
25.8 Other applications
25.9 Structural materials
25.10 Energy return on investment
25.11 Variants and scaling of the dual fluid reactor
25.12 Comparison with other reactor types
References
Further reading
Chapter 26. Kairos power pebble bed reactor
Abstract
Table of Contents
26.1 Introduction
26.2 Company overview
26.3 Technical description
26.4 Safety features
26.5 Hermes demonstration reactor
26.6 Summary and path forward
References
Chapter 27. TerraPower fast chloride reactor
Abstract
Table of Contents
27.1 Introduction
27.2 Historical background
27.3 Current molten chloride fast reactor development
27.4 Technical description
27.5 Operational, safety and public acceptance features
27.6 Summary and path forward
References
Chapter 28. Conclusions
Abstract
Table of Contents
28.1 Achievements
28.2 Reactor development
28.3 Societal issues
28.4 Conclusions
Appendix A. Abbreviations
Index

Thomas James Dolan

Professor Dolan has worked on nuclear technology and international relations issues for three universities, five national laboratories and in nine countries, including in his position as Physics Section Head for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Dolan’s primary research interests are concerned with molten salt fission reactors and nuclear fusion technology. He developed three courses at the University of Missouri-Rolla on fusion research principles, fusion experiments, and fusion technology. As well as the numerous academic positions he has held, he also has experience working in industry (Phillips Petroleum Company) on fusion research and other nuclear topics. As Head of the Physics Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) he helped facilitate international cooperation in fusion research, including organization of the semi-annual IAEA Fusion Energy Conferences. Since then he has taught courses on fusion research at the University of Illinois, in China, and in India.

Affiliations and expertise

Adjunct Professor, Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering Department, University of Illinois, USA

Imre Pazsit

Imre Pázsit has been working with the theory and application of stochastic particle processes for several decades both at an academic level and with concrete applications to existing power plants in Sweden and elsewhere. He is internationally recognised for his contributions in reactor diagnostics with neutron noise methods. He is also a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society.

Affiliations and expertise

Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Göteborg, Sweden

Andrei Rykhlevskii

Andrei Rykhlevskii is Postdoctoral Appointee in Research & Test Reactors Department at the Argonne National Laboratory. He received his PhD and MS in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and BS from Bauman Moscow Technical University (Russia). He was previously a nuclear reactor analyst in ROSATOM (Russia). In nuclear fuel cycle research, he worked on neutronics performance and fuel depletion analysis of various Molten Salt Reactors. His main research interests are nuclear fuel cycle optimization and advanced nuclear reactor modeling.

Affiliations and expertise

Postdoctoral Appointee, Research and Test Reactors Department, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, United States of America

Ritsuo Yoshioka

Ritsuo Yoshioka is an Emeritus President of the International Thorium Molten-Salt Forum, which is organizing MSR researchers in the world and promoting MSR. He had various experience on BWR design and licensing for 30 years and has been studying MSR since 1993. He also contributed to system safety projects for wide industry area from 1998 to 2010. He also worked as an occasional consultant for IAEA on fuel cycle area since 1991. He published more than 100 papers or articles on BWR and MSR core design and system safety, besides system safety for wide industries. His current research interest is MSR design and development

Affiliations and expertise

Ritsuo Yoshioka Owner, Japan Functional Safety Laboratory, Yokohama, Japan

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Social Sciences & Humanities

Health

Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy

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Thomas James Dolan

Imre Pazsit

Andrei Rykhlevskii

Ritsuo Yoshioka