Potential of thorium molten salt reactors : detailed calculations and concept evolution with a view to large scale energy production

PAC

Le Thorium Molten Salt Reactor : Au-delà du MSBR

La re-évaluation du concept de Molten Salt Breeder Reactor a fait apparaître des problèmes liés à la sûreté et à la complexité du retraitement. Une nouvelle réflexion est menée afin de trouver des solutions et ainsi d'aboutir au concept du Thorium Molten Salt Reactor. Plusieurs contraintes principales sont établies et vont servir de guides aux études paramétriques. Celles-ci permettent alors de comprendre l'influence de paramètres importants du coeur sur le comportement du réacteur. Le but de cet article est de présenter ce vaste domaine de recherche et d'indiquer quelles configurations intéressantes de Réacteurs à Sels Fondus peuvent être étudiées plus avant

Molten salt reactors and possible scenarios for future nuclear power deployment

PAC

The GUINEVERE Project for Accelerator Driven System Physics

paper 9414International audienceThe GUINEVERE project is part of the EUROTRANS Integrated Project of the 6th EURATOM Framework Programme. It is mainly devoted to ADS on-line reactivity monitoring validation, sub-criticality determination and operational procedures (loading, start-up, shut-down, ...) as a follow-up of the MUSE experiments. The project consists in coupling a fast lead core, set-up in the VENUS reactor at SCK*CEN Mol (B), with a GENEPI neutron source under construction by CNRS. To accommodate the accelerator in a vertical coupling configuration, the VENUS building is being heightened. The fast core will be loaded with enriched Uranium and will be moderated and reflected with solid lead (zero power experiment). For the purpose of the experimental programme, the neutron source has to be operated not only in pulsed mode but also in continuous mode to investigate the current-to-flux reactivity indicator in representative conditions of a powerful ADS. In this latter mode it is also required to make short beam interruptions to have access to the neutron population decrease as a function of time: from this spectrum it will be possible to apply different analysis techniques such as "prompt decay" fitting techniques and "source jerk" techniques. Beam interruptions will be repeated at a programmable frequency to improve time spectra statistics. Different sub-criticality levels (keff=0.99, 0.97, 0.95, ...) will be investigated in order to obtain a full set of data points for the final overall validation of the methodology. This paper describes the status of the experimental facility assembling, and the foreseen experimental programme to be started

Why Operationism Doesn't Go Away: Extrascientific Incentives of Social-Psychological Research

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69038/2/10.1177_004839318601600302.pd