The MSR was designed by Alvin Weinberg & co for the aircraft reactor
program. I assume high power density, fast control and high temperature
were needed.
Kirk Sorensen, the current main proponent of thorium MSR:s used to work for
NASA earlier.
I have heard the argument that solid fueled gas cooled reactors have a
dangerous failure mode if the fuel melts and goes to a more critical
arrangement, resulting in a runaway meltdown.
pe 12. heinäk. 2019 klo 19.02 Loron, Peter <peterl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
kirjoitti:
IIRC, the past work on solid-core nuclear thermal rockets had reactors
with core temperatures up to 3000K. Offhand, I’m not sure how an MSR would
improve on that. Seems like the additional plumbing to carry the salt would
be heavier and more complex. Temperatures would probably be even more
limited than solid-core designs as you would need pumps for the salt.
-Pete
*From: *<arocket-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Anthony Cesaroni <
anthony@xxxxxxxxxxx>
*Reply-To: *<arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Date: *Friday, July 12, 2019 at 8:43 AM
*To: *<arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject: *[AR] MSR reactors.
Is anyone on the list familiar with thorium and mixed fueled, molten salt
reactors? The designs are not mainstream but there are several examples and
configurations in operation or in development. There are a number of MSR
design possibilities that use various fueling and control approaches.
Operational temperatures cited range between 700~1000 C depending on the
design. Apparently higher temperatures are possible but have not been
tested. Has the MSR design ever been considered for use with hydrogen as a
propulsion system? The AHTR/FHR design at ORNL also suggests that it could
be used in thermochemical hydrogen manufacturing.
https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/molten-salt-reactors.aspx
Anthony J. Cesaroni
President/CEO
Cesaroni Technology/Cesaroni Aerospace
http://www.cesaronitech.com/
(941) 360-3100 x101 Sarasota
(905) 887-2370 x222 Toronto
