ORNL-4191 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

Part 2. MSBR Design and Development
R B. Briggs
The primary objective of the engineering design
and development activities of the MSR program is
to design a molten-salt breeder experiment (MSBE)
and develop the components and systems for that
reactor. The MSBE is proposed to be a model of a
large power breeder reactor and to operate at a
power level of about 150 Mw (thermal).
A reference design of ii 1000-M~ (electrical)
molten-salt breeder reactor power plant is to provide
the basis for most of the criteria and for much
of lhe design of the MSBE. We have been spending
mosi of our effort on the reference design. Several
concepts were described in ORNL-4037, our
progress report for the period ending August 1966,
and in OKNL-3996, which was published in August
1966. We selected the modular concept - four 250-
Mw (electrical) reactors per 1000-Mw (electrical)
station - that has fissile and fertile materials in
separate streams as being the most promising for
irnmediate development and have proceeded with
moie detailed study of a plant based on that concept.
Initial results of those studies were reported
in ORNL-4119, our progress report for the
5.1 GENERAL
E. S. Bettis R. C. Robertson
The design program during the past period has
primarily been directed toward refinement and
modification of the previously reported concepts
for the reactor and other major equipment and re-
visions to the cell layouts and piping.
5. Design
E. s. Uettis
63
period ending February 1967. During this report
period, we continued to examine the details of the
reference plant and its equipment. We also summarized
the objectives and program for dcvelopment
of the MSBE in OHNL-TM-1851.
To date, the component and systems development
activity has been concerned largely with support
of the design and with planning. The development
program was outlined in ORNL-TM-1855 and in
ORN L-TRiI-1856. Salt circulation hops and other
test facilities are being modified for tests of the
sodium fluoroborate coolant salt, models of graphite
fuel cells for the reactor, and molten-salt bearings
and other crucial components of the fuel circulation
pump, Essentially no experimental work
has been done yet.
We plan to complete essential parts of the reference
design during the next report period and to
bpgin lo design the MSRE. Experimerital work
will begin also hut will be limited to a Eew of the
more obvious important problems. Desiyg and
development on a large scale are planned to start
early in FY 1969.
The major effort was redesign of the reactor to
accommodate the new data on radiation effects in
graphite. New approaches were tried to arrivc at
a core design which could cornpcnsate for dimen-
sional changes in the graphite, but it was finally
decided to simply double the volume of the core
to lower the power density from 40 to 20 kw/liter
and thereby assure a stable core life of at least
ten years. It was also decided to include pro-
visions for replacing the complete reactor vessel