Helium-cooled molten-salt fusion breeder

Moir, R.W.; Lee, J.D.; Fulton, Fred J.; Huegel, F.J.; Neef, W.S.; Sherwood, A.E.; Berwald, D.H.; Whitley, R.H.; Wong, C.P.C.; DeVan, J.H.

doi:10.2172/5760597

Cited by 16 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…However, it does generate tritium, xenon, and krypton gases in the fission reaction, and if they are not stripped from the fuel circulating in the primary loop, they absorb neutrons and the chain reaction cannot be maintained . There have been many studies for tritium removal from salt by gas sparging . Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Chinese Academy of Sciences are developing a gas sparging system to remove xenon, krypton, and tritium (hydrogen form and tritium fluoride) from liquid salts by using one kind of centrifugal gas‐liquid separator .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1, 10,11 There have been many studies for tritium removal from salt by gas sparging. [12][13][14][15] Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Chinese Academy of Sciences are developing a gas sparging system to remove xenon, krypton, and tritium (hydrogen form and tritium fluoride) from liquid salts by using one kind of centrifugal gas-liquid separator. 16,17 Helium will be injected into the salt by a venture-type bubble generator (a gas volume fraction of 0.1%~0.2%, bubble diameter ranging from 0.3 to 0.5 mm), and the gas fission products can be removed from the coolant salt with the separator.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Numerical simulation of tritiated bubble trajectory in a gas-liquid separator

Qian

et al. 2017

Int J Energy Res

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Summary The gas‐liquid separator is a critical component for the online tritium gas removal system in thorium molten salt reactor. In this paper, an isolated bubble trajectory in a single‐phase swirling flow field of the separator is investigated theoretically. The mathematical modeling of the forces acting on the bubble is established, and the motion equations of bubble are solved numerically. The axial and circumferential velocities of the swirling flow are approximated by the combination of 2 co‐flow Batchelor vortices. Notably, it is a promising way to obtain the analytical expression of velocity field in this gas‐liquid separator. The results indicate that the separation length will increase as decreasing diameter of bubble and swirl number. Hence, the numerical simulation provides an effective tool to predict bubble trajectory and optimize the design of the gas‐liquid separator.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical simulation of tritiated bubble trajectory in a gas-liquid separator

Qian

et al. 2017

Int J Energy Res

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“…Fig. 4.1 shows a blanket designed both for a tandem mirror (Moir et al, 1984a(Moir et al, , 1985 and a tokamak (Moir et al, 1984b) with pebbles and helium cooling. The thorium is slowly circulated through the blanket in the form of molten salt and processed at a slow rate to remove the bred 233 U along with the spikant 232 U.…”

Section: Molten-salt Blanket Designs-fission-suppressed Fusion Breedermentioning

confidence: 99%

Axisymmetric Magnetic Mirror Fusion-Fission Hybrid

Moir

Martovetsky

Molvik

et al. 2012

Fusion Science and Technology

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The achieved performance of the gas dynamic trap version of magnetic mirrors and today's technology we believe are sufficient with modest further efforts for a neutron source for material testing (Q=P fusion /P input~0 .1). The performance needed for commercial power production requires considerable further advances to achieve the necessary high Q>>10. An early application of the mirror, requiring intermediate performance and intermediate values of Q~1 are the hybrid applications. The Axisymmetric Mirror has a number of attractive features as a driver for a fusion-fission hybrid system: geometrical simplicity, inherently steady-state operation, and the presence of the natural divertors in the form of end tanks. This level of physics performance has the virtue of low risk and only modest R&D needed and its simplicity promises economy advantages. Operation at Q~1 allows for relatively low electron temperatures, in the range of 4 keV, for the DT injection energy ~ 80 keV. A simple mirror with the plasma diameter of 1 m and mirror-to-mirror length of 35 m is discussed. Simple circular superconducting coils are based on today's technology. The positive ion neutral beams are similar to existing units but designed for steady state. A brief qualitative discussion of three groups of physics issues is presented: axial heat loss, MHD stability in the axisymmetric geometry, microstability of sloshing ions.

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“…This zone multiplies neutrons and produces about half the needed tritium. The second zone consists of molten salt, 7 LiF 72%+BeF 2 16%+ThF 4 12% from 3.01 to 3.5 m where the rest of the tritium breeding occurs and 6 Li in the molten salt zone ~10 -7 that of 7 Li. A blanket module is shown in Fig.…”

Section: Blankets Use Either Lithium or Beryllium As A Neutron Multipmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…FIGURE. 5 shows a blanket submodule designed both for a tandem mirror [7,8] and a tokamak [9] with pebbles and helium cooling the submodule adapted to mirror geometry making an integrated package of first wall, blanket, shield and solenoidal magnet (Be/MS).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Fission-suppressed fusion breeder on the thorium cycle and nonproliferation

Moir¹

2012

AIP Conference Proceedings

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Fusion reactors could be designed to breed fissile material while suppressing fissioning thereby enhancing safety. The produced fuel could be used to startup and makeup fuel for fission reactors. Each fusion reaction can produce typically 0.6 fissile atoms and release about 1.6 times the 14 MeV neutron's energy in the blanket in the fission-suppressed design. This production rate is 2660 kg/1000 MW of fusion power for a year. The revenues would be doubled from such a plant by selling fuel at a price of 60/g and electricity at $0.05/kWh for Q=P fusion /P input =4. Fusion reactors could be designed to destroy fission wastes by transmutation and fissioning but this is not a natural use of fusion whereas it is a designed use of fission reactors. Fusion could supply makeup fuel to fission reactors that were dedicated to fissioning wastes with some of their neutrons. The design for safety and heat removal and other items is already accomplished with fission reactors. Whereas fusion reactors have geometry that compromises safety with a complex and thin wall separating the fusion zone from the blanket zone where wastes could be destroyed. Nonproliferation can be enhanced by mixing 233 U with 238 U. Also nonproliferation is enhanced in typical fission-suppressed designs by generating up to 0.05 232 U atoms for each 233 U atom produced from thorium, about twice the IAEA standards of "reduced protection" or "self protection." With 2.4% 232 U, high explosive material is predicted to degrade owing to ionizing radiation after a little over ½ year and the heat rate is 77 W just after separation and climbs to over 600 W ten years later. The fissile material can be used to fuel most any fission reactor but is especially appropriate for molten salt reactors (MSR) also called liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTR) because of the molten fuel does not need hands on fabrication and handling.

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Helium-cooled molten-salt fusion breeder

Cited by 16 publications

References 2 publications

Numerical simulation of tritiated bubble trajectory in a gas-liquid separator

Numerical simulation of tritiated bubble trajectory in a gas-liquid separator

Axisymmetric Magnetic Mirror Fusion-Fission Hybrid

Fission-suppressed fusion breeder on the thorium cycle and nonproliferation

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