Application of the lines of defence method to the molten salt fast reactor in the framework of the SAMOFAR project

Abstract

The Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) with its liquid circulating fuel and its fast neutron spectrum calls for a new safety approach and adaptation of the analysis tools. In the frame of the Horizon2020 program SAMOFAR (Safety Assessment of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor), a safety approach suitable for Molten Salt Reactors has been developed and is now applied to the MSFR. For this purpose, the Lines of Defence (LoD) method is selected to drive the design consistently with the Defence in Depth principle. This paper presents the main characteristics of the method, along with some practical guidelines to apply it to the specific case of the MSFR; moreover, some initiating events are analyzed through the implementation of the LoD tool. The outcomes of this analysis drive the design evolution.

Controller Design and Stability Analysis of an MSR Plant Based on a Nonlinear Distributed-Parameter Model

“…A liquid-salt microreactor (MARS) was designed in Russia for space exploration [10]. Feasibility and safety assessments of liquid-fuel fast-reactor systems (EVOL and SAMOFAR) have been performed in the Euratom framework project, and the fast-spectrum MSR concept (MSFR) was developed to investigate the feasibility of applying the MSR for fuel breeding and nuclear waste transmutation [11][12][13][14]. The iMAGINE was proposed for both energy production and nuclear waste management in an integrated system [15].…”