Education and Training Series #73: Molten Salt Reactors Taxonomy and Fuel Cycle Performance

These webinars, organised by the GIF Education and Training Working Group are streamed live monthly. The recordings and slide decks are accessible after the webinar on this website. These webinars cover a very broad range of technical and policy related topics. At the end of 2023 they have been viewed by more than 15000 people (approximately half of the views during the live streams and the other half views being of the archives on the public GIF website). In total, the GIF webinars have reached Generation IV enthusiasts, scientists, and engineers in more than 80 countries.

These webinars are organised and hosted by the GIF Education and Training Working Group (ETWG). 

As the title says, Molten Salt Reactors (MSR) utilize molten salt in their core. Especially, when it is used as a fuel carrier, it provides enormous designing freedom. Consequently, there are many concepts available in the literature; some more matured than others. Recently there was a common effort at IAEA to classify these concepts and create MSR taxonomy. This taxonomy will be briefly introduced in the seminar together with the reactor physics characterization of the major MSR classes and families. Particular MSR features will be discussed and listed together with the involved families. The fuel cycle performance will be evaluated from neutronics perspective. It will include discussion about cross-section of applicable material for MSR construction. Several MSR families will be classified according to the breeding gain and applicable fuel cycles. Last but not least, salt composition and distribution in the MSR system during its operation will be presented together with an initial assessment of possible radionuclides release during accidental conditions.