Simulation-based analysis of phase-change cooling mechanisms for integral molten salt reactors

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Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) technology has significant advantages over traditional water-cooled nuclear fission reactors for power generation. These advantages span the gamut of issues surrounding nuclear fission for power generation including safety, efficiency, environmental impact, and scalability. MSRs operate using molten salt as the primary coolant and may thus operate at much higher temperatures (~700C) than their water-cooled counterparts (~300C). This means that MSRs run at a higher thermodynamic efficiency than water-cooled counterparts and therefore do not require large amounts of coolant which must be both drawn from and discharged into the environment. The proposed research focuses on the phase of MSR operation that occurs following shutdown of the reactor. During this process reactor decay heat must be transported out of the reactor and one fault-tolerant approach is through the use of a phase-change cooling reactor jacket. Using functional materials for cooling results is an inherently safe and robust approach to absorb reactor decay heat, which may then be gradually dissipated through conduction into the environment. Direct experimental design of this scenario would be costly and challenging with respect to the very high temperatures involved. The use of simulation tools to design and test prototypes is a safe and cost-effective approach to guide later experimental research.