• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.1013-1021
• /
• 2024

A series of experiments were performed to produce a fuel source for a molten salt reactor (MSR) through pyroprocessing technology. A simulated LiCl-KCl-UCl₃-NdCl₃ salt system was prepared, and the U element was fully recovered using a liquid cadmium cathode (LCC) by applying a constant current. As a result, the salt was purified with an UCl₃ concentration lower than 100 ppm. Subsequently, the U/RE ingot was prepared by melting U and RE metals in Y₂O₃ crucible at 1473 K as a surrogate for RE-rich ingot product from pyroprocessing. The produced ingot was sliced and used as a working electrode in LiCl-KCl-LaCl₃ salt. Only RE elements were then anodically dissolved by applying potential at - 1.7 V versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The RE-removed ingot product was used to produce UCl₃ via the reaction with NH4Cl in a sealed reactor.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2008

The neutron kinetic analysis methods for the molten-salt reactors are quite different from those for conventional solid-fuel reactors, which do not take into account the flowing-fuel-induced neutronics effects. Therefore, for dynamics and safety analyses of the molten-salt reactor systems, the conventional kinetics codes would not be appropriate to accurately predict its transient behaviors. A point-kinetics with flowing- fuel model has been used to assess the fluid-fuel reactor system safety, but recognized as not to be sufficient to simulate spatial distributions of delayed-neutron precursors and neutron populations during transients for given detail reactor models. In order to meet this requirement, AMBIKIND, a 2-group, 2-dimensional neutron kinetics code suitable for the molten-salt reactor systems was developed. This paper explains the code's theoretical and numerical descriptions and, as a part of its verification, includes some simulation results of MSRE stability experiments. Even though the present reactor model does not include the recirculation effect of the fuel-salt through the reactor system, the AMBIKIN2D code should be able to predict the power and phase shift at various power levels and reactivity insertions with better accuracy.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.52 no.6
• /
• pp.1131-1136
• /
• 2020

Xenon behaves differently in molten salt reactors (MSRs) compared to solid fuel reactors. This behavior needs exploring due to the large reactivity effect of the ¹³⁵Xe isotope, given the current interest in MSR power plant development for commercial deployment. This paper focuses on select topics in xenon transport, reviews relevant past works, and proposes specific research questions to advance the state of the art in each of the focus areas. Specifically, the paper discusses the issue of xenon solubility in MSRs, the behavior of particulates circulating in MSR fuel salt and its influence on the xenon transport, the possibility of ionization of xenon atoms which changes its effective size and thus affects its mass transport, and finally the issue of circulating void fraction and how it is measured. This work presents specific recommendations for MSR designers to research the limits of Henry's law validity, circulating particulate scrubbers, validity of mass transport coefficients in high radiation fields, and the effects of pump speed on circulating void fraction.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.42 no.10 s.281
• /
• pp.672-677
• /
• 2005

In this study we prepared the Sr-ferrite powders and magnet by a molten salt method using the (NaCl+KCl) salt mixture. Starting materials of $Fe_{2}$$O_{3}$ and Sr$Co_{3}$ were mixed as the molar ratio of 5.70:1, and 0.08 mol$ \% $ $Al_{2}$$O_{3}$, 0.10 mo1$ \% $ Si$O_{2}$ and 0.12 mo1$ \% $ CaO were added as additives. Sr-ferrite powders synthesized at the reaction temperatures of 800$\∼$1200$ ^{\circ}C $ showed the typical M-type hexagonal ferrite phase, and hexagonal plate-like morphology with uniform distribution of 1$\∼$3 $\mu$m particle size. The bulk density of the sintered Sr-ferrite magnet prepared with powders by the molten salt method showed the maximum density of 4.82 g/$cm^{3}$ at the sintering temperature of 1200$^{\circ}C $. The maxima of remanent flux density (Br, 45 emu/g) and coercive force (iHc, 3.75 kOe) occurred at the sintering temperatures of 1150$ ^{\circ}C$ and 1200$^{\circ}C $.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.49 no.8
• /
• pp.1617-1628
• /
• 2017

In the passive residual heat removal system of a molten salt reactor, one of the residual heat removal methods is to use the thimble-type heat transfer elements of the drain salt tank to remove the residual heat of fuel salts. An experimental loop is designed and built with a single heat transfer element to analyze the heat transfer and flow characteristics. In this research, the influence of the size of a three-layer thimble-type heat transfer element on the heat transfer rate is analyzed. Two methods are used to obtain the heat transfer rate, and a difference of results between methods is approximately 5%. The gas gap width between the thimble and the bayonet has a large effect on the heat transfer rate. As the gas gap width increases from 1.0 mm to 11.0 mm, the heat transfer rate decreases from 5.2 kW to 1.6 kW. In addition, a natural circulation startup process is described in this paper. Finally, flashing natural circulation instability has been observed in this thimble-type heat transfer element.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.4
• /
• pp.1135-1144
• /
• 2024

With the increasing ratio of renewables in the grid, a low-carbon and stable base load source that also is capable of load tracking is in demand. Sodium cooled fast reactors (SFRs) coupled to thermal heat storage system (THS) is a strong candidate for the need. This research focuses on the designing and performance validation of a two-tank THS based on molten salt to integrate with a 280 MW_th sodium cooled fast reactor. Designing of the THS includes the vital component, sodium-to-salt heat exchanger which is a technology gap that needs to be filled, and designing and parameter selection of the tanks and related pumps. Modeling of the designed THS is conducted followed by the description of operation strategies and control logics of the THS. Finally, the dynamic simulation of the designed THS is conducted based on Fortran. Results show, the proposed power system meets the need of the design requirements to store heat for 18 h during a day and provide 500 MW_th for peak demand for the rest of the day.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
• /
• 2002.11a
• /
• pp.89-103
• /
• 2002

기존 원자력 발전 기술이 안고 있는 문제점들을 해결함과 동시에 장기적으로 기존의 경ㆍ중수형 원자로를 대체 또는 보완할 수 있을 것으로 기대되는 새로운 원자력에너지시스템으로서 토륨ㆍ우라늄ㆍ플루토늄 혼합 핵주기에 기초한 용융염원자로(Molten Salt Reactor)의 일종인 AMBIDEXTER (Advanced Molten-salt Break-even Inherently-safe Dual-missioning EXperimental and TEst Reactor) 원자력에너지 복합시스템의 개념설계 연구가 진행중이다.(중략)

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
• /
• 1999.05a
• /
• pp.107-112
• /
• 1999

AMBIDEXTER(Advanced Molten-salt Break-even Inherently-safe Dual-mission Experimental & Test Reactor) 핵연료계통은 Th/$^{233U}$ 불화용융염으로 구성되어 있으며, 핵분열생성물질의 운전중 연속재처리가 가능하여 운전상태에 따라 원자로내 연료물질의 농도분포를 정확하게 계산하는 것은 원자로 설계에 있어 주요 기술이다.(중략)

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.712-721
• /
• 2000

$LiF-BeF_2-ZrF_4$(63-30-7 mol%) molten salt was dissolved up to 0.02g in 1ml of distilled water at room temperature. $ZrO_2$ oxide made from $ZrF_4$ through pyrohydrolysis was recovered by leaching in distilled water with $LiF-BeF_2-ZrF_4$molten salt including it at room temperature. The crystalline sharpness of recovered $ZrO_2$ oxide was not damaged.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.128-134
• /
• 2013

A study on the corrosion behavior of Inconel alloys and Incoloy 800H in molten salt of LiCl-$Li_2O$ was investigated at $650^{\circ}C$ for 24-312 hours in an oxidation atmosphere. The order of the corrosion rate was Inconel 600 < Inconel 601 < Incoloy 800H < Inconel 690. Inconel 600 showed the best performance suggesting that the content of Fe, Cr and Ni are the important factor for corrosion resistance in hot molten salt oxidation conditions. The corrosion products of Inconel 600 and Inconel 601 were $Cr_2O_3$ and $NiFe_2O_4$, In case of Inconel 690, a single layer of $Cr_2O_3$ was formed in the early stage of corrosion and an outer layer of $NiFe_2O_4$ and inner layer of $Cr_2O_3$ were formed with an increase of corrosion time. In the case of Incoloy 800H, $Cr_2O_3$ and $FeCr_2O_4$ were observed. Most of the outer scale of the alloys was observed to be spalled from the results of the SEM analysis and the unspalled scale which adhered to the substrate was composed of three layers. The outer layer, the middle one, and the inner one were Fe, Cr, and Ni-rich, respectively. Inconel 600 showed localized corrosion behavior and Inconel 601, 690 and Incoloy 800H showed uniform corrosion behavior. Ni improves the corrosion resistance and too much Cr and/or Fe content deteriorates the corrosion resistance.