A Draft Design of a Zero Power Experiment for Molten Salt Fast Reactor Studies

• DOI: 10.20944/preprints202403.0991.v1
• Publication Date: 2024-03-19T04:09:36Z
• Authors: Bruno Merk; Omid Noori-kalkhoran; Lakshay Jain; Daliya Aflyatunova; Andrew Jones; Lewis Powell; Anna Detkina; Michael Drury; Dzianis Litskevich; Marco Viebach; Carsten Lange
• Keywords: Shut down

The UK government and many international experts have pointed out that nuclear energy has an important role to play in the transition towards a decarbonized system since it is only freely manageable very low-carbon technology with 24/7 availability complement renewables. Besides current investments light water reactor technologies, we need innovation for improved fuel usage reduced waste creation, like offered by iMAGINE, required broad success of technologies. To allow quick progress into innovative technologies iMAGINE their regulation, timely investment urgently needed experimental infrastructure expertise development will be assure capacities capabilities. initial steps start such new physics facility investigate molten salt fast are discussed stepwise approach described. down selection choice diverse control shutdown described through manipulating reflector (control) splitting core (shutdown). developed design having two parts different rooms opens completely opportunities manifest request separated operational crews, as nowadays requested regulators built environment. proposed physical separation safety relevant systems from room should on one hand help ease access visiting specialists. On other hand, location all now access-controlled area team limit risk misuse third party access. planned programme major steps: criticality experiments, followed experiments determine neutron flux, spectrum, power distribution well understand effect changes reactivity flux function density, temperature composition change.