OPEN ACCESS
This paper reviews the development of fast molten salt nuclear reactors (MSRs) to close the nuclear fuel cycle by processing future and existing nuclear waste so that it can be returned safely to the environment. It follows two earlier papers outlining the overall use of a range of MSR types and an outline of future proposed marketing of a universal modular thermal MSR design for general purposes. It is suggested that the future MSR industry will probably evolve into three major competitive global corporations. The first one, serving the Far East, seems likely to become entirely MSR based, whereas the other two serving Europe/Western Russia and the Americas may use the alternative lead-cooled fast reactor for waste disposal, which is the closest competitor to the MSR system. Although construction of full-scale fast (MSR) reactors for closing the fuel cycle may not eventuate until some years into the future, it is concluded that this need not delay the introduction of the general purpose thermal MSR reactor envisaged earlier. This new nuclear technology is considered essential to maintain base-load electricity in a world where agricultural needs are expected to take precedence over space requirements for wind and solar farms. Using Thorium, in addition to Uranium, nuclear fuel is sufficient for the next 1000 years. Thus this energy resource can be considered pseudo-sustainable and give us the time to restore our world to a state of balance and true sustainability. Attention is also drawn to the present dangers of continuing to increase the storage of nuclear waste and the refurbishing of old-design nuclear plant, which are already 40 years old.
GIF, molten salt nuclear power, nuclear safety and licencing
[1] Adams, R., ThorCon- Demonstrated molten salt tech packaged with modern construc- tion techniques, January 6th, 2015, available at: http//atomicinsights.com/thorcon- demonstated-molten sat-tech…
[2] Caldicott, H., Nuclear power is not the answer, The New Press: New York & London, pp. 1–221, 2006.
[3] MacPherson, H.G., The molten salt reactor adventure. Nuclear science and Engineering, 90, pp. 374–380, 1985. https://doi.org/10.13182/nse90-374
[4] Boothroyd, R.G., Integrated molten-salt nuclear reactor systems for base-load power plants. International Journal of Energy Production and Management, 2(1), pp. 39–51, 2017. https://doi.org/10.2495/eq-v2-n1-39-51
[5] Boothroyd, R.G., A suggested roadmap for world-wide energy resource planning and management. International Journal of Energy Production and Management, 1(1), pp. 72–86, 2016. https://doi.org/10.2495/eq-v1-n1-72-86
[6] Merle-Lucotte, E., Heuer, D., Allibert, M., Brochenko, M., Capellan, N. & Ghetta, V., Launching the thorium fuel cycle with molten salt fast reactor Proceedings of ICAPP Conference, Nice, France (Paper 11190), May 2–5, 2011.
[7] Holcomb, D.E., Flanagan, G.F., Patton, B.W., Gehin, J.C., Howard, R.L. & Harrison, T.J., Fast spectrum molten salt reactor options. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (UT-Battelle, for DOE), ORNL/TM-2011/105, July, 2011.
[8] Merle-Lucotte, E., et al. (LPSC MSFR team), The concept of fast spectrum molten salt reactor, (MSFR), French-Swedish seminar on future nuclear systems. KTH- Stock- holm, Sweden, 2013, available at: www.institutfracais-suede.com/wp…Stockholm- seminar-msfr-eml-03122013.pdf
[9] Endicott, N., Thorium-fuelled molten salt reactors. Report for the All party Parliamen- tary Group on Thorium Energy, Weinberg Foundation, London, June 2013.
[10] Ignatiev, V., GIF reactor system development status: molten salt reactor. 10th GIF – INPRO IAEA Interface meeting, Vienna, Austria, 11 April, 2016.
[11] World Nuclear Association, Molten Salt Reactors (updated 30 September 2016) pp. 1–11, available at: http://www.world.nuclear.org/informatiom-library ...
[12] Ignatiev, V.V., Feynberg, O.S., Zagnitco, A.V., Merzlyakov, A.V., Surenkov, A.I., Panov, A.V., Subbotin, V.G., Afonichkin, V.K., Kohkhlov, V.A. & Kormilitsyn, M.V., Molten salt reactors: new possibilities, problems and solutions, Atomic Energy, 112(3), pp. 157–165, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-012-9537-2
[13] Anon., Do molten salt reactors have a lithium problem? The Alvin Weinberg Founda- tion, London, available at: www.the-weinberg-foundation.org/2013/06/04/do-molten... (accessed June 4th, 2013).
[14] Mathieu, L., Heuer, D., Brisot, R., Le Brun, C., Liatard, E., Loiseaux, J.-M., Meplan, G., Merle-Lucotte, E., Nuttin, A. & Wilson, J., The thorium molten salt reactor: moving on from the MSBR. arXiv:nucl-ex/0506004c1, 2 June 2005.
[15] Forsberg, C.W., Thermal and fast-spectrum molten salt reactors for actinide burning and fuel production, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and American Nuclear Society manuscript 175768, Global 07 Conference, Boise Idaho, September 9–13, 2007.
[16] Inoue, T. & Koch, L., Development of pyroprocessing and its future direction. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 40(3), pp. 183–190, 2008. https://doi.org/10.5516/net.2008.40.3.183
[17] Lee, H., Park, G-I., Kang, K-H., Hur, J-M., Kim, J-G., Ahn, D-H., Cho, Y-Z. & Kim, E.H.,
Pyroprocessing technology development at KAERI. Nuclear Engineering and Technol- ogy, 43(4), pp. 317–328, 2011. https://doi.org/10.5516/net.2011.43.4.317
[18] Wikipedia, Nuclear processing, pp. 1–16, updated 25/02/2017, accessed 2/03/2017. [19] World Nuclear Association, Processing of used nuclear fuel, pp. 1–16, (updated November, 2016, www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle...2017.)
[20] anon. Davis-Besse reactor vessel head degradation lesson, available at: https:// www.gov/reactors/operating/ops.../vessel...lltf-rpt-m1022760122.pdf
[21] Cinotti, L., Smith, C.F. & Sekimoto, H., Lead –cooled fast reactor (LFR) overview and perspectives, LLNL-CONF-414708 (Lawrence Livermore Laboratory) Generation IV International Forum Symposium Paris, France, September 9–10, 2009.
[22] Hendryx, M., Mortality from heart, respiraratory and kidney disease in coal min- ing areas of Appalachia. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 82(2), pp. 243–249, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-008-0328-y
[23] Hendryx, M. & Ahern, M.A., Relations between health indicators and residential proximity to coal mines in West Virginia. American Journal of Public Health, 98(4), pp. 669–671, 2008. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2007.113472
[24] Hendryx, M., O’Donnell, K. & Horn, K., Lung cancer is elevated in coal mining areas of Appalachia. Lung Cancer, 62(1), pp. 1–7, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lungcan.2008.02.004
[25] Boothroyd, R.G., The importance of public participation in monitoring risks in large- scale industrial projects: an Australian experience. International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering, 7(1), pp. 19–30, 2017. (Also presented at 7th International Con- ference on Safety and Security Engineering, Rome 6–8 September, 2017.) https://doi.org/10.2495/SAFE-V7-N1-19-30
[26] Ahern, M., Mullett, M., Mackay, K. & Hamilton, C., Residence in coal mining areas and low birth weight outcomes. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 15(7), pp. 974–979, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-009-0555-1
[27] Ahern, M.A., Hendryx, M., Conley, J., Fedorko, E., Ducatman, A. & Zullig, K.J., The association between mountaintop mining and birth defects among live births in central Appalachia, 1996–2003. Environmental Research, 111(6), pp. 838–846. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2011.05.019
[28] Tovesson, F., Hambsch, F-J., Oberstedt, A., Fogelberg, B., Ramstrom, E. & Oberstedt, S., The Pa-233 fission cross section. Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 39(suppl 2), pp. 210–213, 2002. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2002.10875076
[29] Nifenecker, H., David, S., Loiseaux, J.M. & Meplan, O., Basics of accelerator driven subcritical reactors. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, A463, pp. 428–467, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-9002(01)00160-7