A dynamic model of xenon behavior in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment

State of Knowledge on Aerosols and Bubble Transport for Mechanistic Source Term Analysis of Molten Salt Reactors

“…More recently, multiple papers and theses have been published specifically on modeling the species transport in MSRs. The behavior and impact of Xe has been revisited and reviewed [97] and a reactivity dynamics model of Xe poisoning and transients in the MSRE was reported [98]. Similarly, a two-phase Xe migration model was implemented into the reactor physics VERA environment based on an interfacial tracking method [99,100].…”

Application of NEAMS Codes to Capture MSR Phenomena

“…During the MSRE, a model was developed for Xe-135 migration, accounting for generation, decay, burnup, stripping, and migration to graphite and circulating bubbles [40]. A revisiting of these phenomena and the incorporation of the resulting models in modern tools has been reported recently and continued development in other tools is recommended [41,42]. Multiple approaches can be imagined, including accounting for these phenomena in reactor multiphysics tools such as Griffin, or adding these chemical transport models to system analysis tools such as SAM which have modified point kinetics under development [43].…”

“…Multiple efforts in modeling radionuclide transport in single or multi-phase flows have been reported recently [38,39,41,[44][45][46]. Ultimately, more experimental work needs to be completed to refine the phenomenology of radionuclide transport in molten salt flows, including but not limited to bubble entrainment and transport, aerosol modeling, deposition on solid components, adsorption and diffusion through graphite, and a better understanding of noble metal transport.…”

Survey and Assessment of Computational Capabilities for Advanced (Non-LWR) Reactor Mechanistic Source Term Analysis.

“…Similarly, Price et al examined the physical behavior of xenon in MSRs, including its solubility in salt, the effect of circulating particulates on xenon, and the size, ionization and circulating void fraction of xenon [153]. They expanded on this work by developing a dynamic model of xenon behavior in MSRs accounting for various types of mass transport in a model built in MATLAB/Simulink [154]. The model accounts for mass transfer from salt to graphite as well as to bubbles, and factors in decay characteristics and removal due to the xenon stripper.…”