Molten Salt Reactor Sourdough Refueling and Waste Management Strategy
This paper presents a new approach to the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) problem, which is uniquely enabled by a liquid fuel form, specifically as in the case of molten salt reactor (MSR) systems. Managing the SNF problem is critical for public acceptance of nuclear power as a climate change solution. An...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Nuclear Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4362/2/4/33 |
| _version_ | 1797503233354104832 |
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| author | Alexander M. Wheeler Ondřej Chvála |
| author_facet | Alexander M. Wheeler Ondřej Chvála |
| author_sort | Alexander M. Wheeler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper presents a new approach to the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) problem, which is uniquely enabled by a liquid fuel form, specifically as in the case of molten salt reactor (MSR) systems. Managing the SNF problem is critical for public acceptance of nuclear power as a climate change solution. An MSR can be refueled while operating by adding more fresh fuel salt, which grows the in-core fuel salt volume. This growth will eventually double the size of the original fuel salt, allowing to start another core with this excess fuel so long as the daughter reactor is of the same design and there is sufficient excess fuel. This study explores how such a “sourdough” strategy would work in MSRs and provides an initial calculation methodology to find the correct refueling rates to match the desired growth curve of power generation. Higher uranium enrichment levels of the refuel salt result in lower refueling rates and thus a longer doubling time. As a result, the refuel salt uranium enrichment can be tailored to match a postulated clean power generation capacity expansion. This approach allows postponing the spent nuclear fuel disposal issue using the sourdough method. Along with the MSR fuel’s unique properties, it suggests a new path towards managing nuclear waste until long-term solutions become economically viable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:47:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2a01b87de3eb4a809a21987e9b4e6e13 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4362 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:47:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Nuclear Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-2a01b87de3eb4a809a21987e9b4e6e132023-11-23T09:04:16ZengMDPI AGJournal of Nuclear Engineering2673-43622021-10-012447148310.3390/jne2040033Molten Salt Reactor Sourdough Refueling and Waste Management StrategyAlexander M. Wheeler0Ondřej Chvála1Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2300, USADepartment of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2300, USAThis paper presents a new approach to the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) problem, which is uniquely enabled by a liquid fuel form, specifically as in the case of molten salt reactor (MSR) systems. Managing the SNF problem is critical for public acceptance of nuclear power as a climate change solution. An MSR can be refueled while operating by adding more fresh fuel salt, which grows the in-core fuel salt volume. This growth will eventually double the size of the original fuel salt, allowing to start another core with this excess fuel so long as the daughter reactor is of the same design and there is sufficient excess fuel. This study explores how such a “sourdough” strategy would work in MSRs and provides an initial calculation methodology to find the correct refueling rates to match the desired growth curve of power generation. Higher uranium enrichment levels of the refuel salt result in lower refueling rates and thus a longer doubling time. As a result, the refuel salt uranium enrichment can be tailored to match a postulated clean power generation capacity expansion. This approach allows postponing the spent nuclear fuel disposal issue using the sourdough method. Along with the MSR fuel’s unique properties, it suggests a new path towards managing nuclear waste until long-term solutions become economically viable.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4362/2/4/33Molten salt reactorfuel cycleonline refuelingnuclear waste |
| spellingShingle | Alexander M. Wheeler Ondřej Chvála Molten Salt Reactor Sourdough Refueling and Waste Management Strategy Journal of Nuclear Engineering Molten salt reactor fuel cycle online refueling nuclear waste |
| title | Molten Salt Reactor Sourdough Refueling and Waste Management Strategy |
| title_full | Molten Salt Reactor Sourdough Refueling and Waste Management Strategy |
| title_fullStr | Molten Salt Reactor Sourdough Refueling and Waste Management Strategy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molten Salt Reactor Sourdough Refueling and Waste Management Strategy |
| title_short | Molten Salt Reactor Sourdough Refueling and Waste Management Strategy |
| title_sort | molten salt reactor sourdough refueling and waste management strategy |
| topic | Molten salt reactor fuel cycle online refueling nuclear waste |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4362/2/4/33 |
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