Single Fluid Molten Salt Nuclear Breeder Reactor

摘要

1,191,806. Reactors. UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION. 28 April, 1969 [3 June, 1968], No. 21542/69. Heading G6C. In a molten-salt-fuelled nuclear breeder reactor, a single salt mixture containing both the fissile and fertile materials flows through the core and the surrounding breeding blanket. The molten salt mixture passes from the plenum 8, upwards through the core formed of hollow graphite rods, 10, which float in the salt, and are urged upwards against the grid, 11. A minor portion of the mixture passes radially outwards and flows upwards through the blanket, 16, containing graphite spheres, 15. The latter pack together and exert a lateral inwards retaining force against the rods, 10. Thermal neutrons are absorbed by the fissile material in the core while, in the blanket, 16, as the percentage of salt mixture is higher than in the core, the thermal neutron flux is less in it is hardened and absorption of neutrons by the fertile material is greater than in the core to effect breeding. Neutron leakage is reduced as the multiplication constant, effective, of the blanket region is less than one. In an alternate form, vertical graphite tubes are used in place of spheres, 15. Additionally, the blanket graphite may be made less dense. than that in the core and the same volume fraction of salt mixture used in both the core and blanket.