ORNL-5388 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

5-6
As has been pointed out above, relatively rapid introduction schedules for the
various reactors have been postulated in the nuclear power scenarios described in Chapter
6. This is because one of the objectives of this report is to establish the degree to
which advanced converters and the denatured uranium-thorium (DUTH) cycle can contribute to
improved uranium resource uti1 ization so as to defer the need for plutonium-fueled breeder
reactors and to eliminate from further consideration those concepts which cannot contribute
significantly to this goal even if rapidly introduced.
duced in 1991 and HWRs and HTGRs in 1995.
construction and licensing, it is clear that the prototype plant stage will have to be
bypassed if these introduction dates are to be achieved.
below it has been assumed that the program for each reactor will be directed toward the
construction of the demonstration plant.
turn divided into two parts:
provide the basic information necessary for the design and licensing of a commercial-site
demonstration facility; and another consisting of the final design, construction, and
operation of the facility.
has been assumed because of the substantial R&D and first-of-a-kind engineering costs that
will be incurred and because of the increased risks associated with bypassing the prototype
stage.
The SSCR is assumed to be intro-
In view of the time requirements for plant
Consequently, for the discussion
This reactor/fuel cycle demonstration is in
one consisting of the generic reactor R&D required to
For this demonstration program, continued government funding
In considering fuel-cycle-related reactor R,D&D, it is assumed that the demonstration
of the reactor concept on its reference cycle has been accomplished and only that R,D&D re-
quired to shift to an alternate cycle (specifically a DUTH cycle) need be addressed.* The
basic ,types of fuel-cycle-related reactor R,D&D are:
(1) Data-base development.
(2) Reactor components development.
(3) Reactor/fuel cycle demonstration.
The purpose of the data base development R&D is to provide physics verification and
fuel performance information necessary for the design and licensing of reactors operating on
the subject fuel cycle; the intent here is to provide information similar to that which has
been developed for the use of mixed-oxide fuels in LWRs.
have typically consisted of critical experiments to provide a basis to demonstrate the ability
of analytical models to predict such important safety-related parameters as reactivity level,
coefficients of reactivity, and poison worths.
Physics verification experiments
Safety-related fuel performance R&D might
consist of such aspects as fuel rod irradiations to establish in-reactor performance and
discharge isotopics; special reactor experiments to establish such parameters as in-reactor
swelling, densification, center-line temperature and fission gas release; and tests of the
*Note that the R,D&D requirements included are those related to the design, licensing and
operation of the reactor onty. The requirements for developing the fuel cycle itself are
considered separately (see Section 5.2). The prime example of such fuel-cycle-related
reactor R,D&D is that already performed for plutonium recycle. Here, fairly extensive
R,D&D was performed both by the government and by the private sector to develop reactor
design changes and/or reactor-related constraints, licensing information, and in-reactor
gemonstrations to support the eventual utilization of mixed-oxide fuels.
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