FC-MSR nuclear reactor
- See also: Nuclear_power_reconsidered
The FC-MSR is a Molten Salt Reactor[2]using Fast neutrons and a Chloride salt. Fast Neutron Reactors[3][4] are capable of burning spent nuclear fuel, old bomb cores, depleted uranium and thorium.[5]This article will address the issues raised in the parent article Nuclear power reconsidered.
Safety
Accidental overheating. Add text here.
Leakage of Radioactivity Add text here.
Sabotage Add text here.
Waste Management
This section is copied from ThorCon nuclear reactor. We need equivalent data for the FC-MSR.
All reactor maintenance and fuel processing is done at a secure location.
Average per year for a 500MW plant:[6]
High Level Waste: 13,400kg to dry-cask storage[7]
Medium and Low Level Waste:
Recycled Fuel: 650kg of 19.7% U-235 (33% of total U consumption)
Other: (Medical isotopes, etc.)
The "waste" in the ThorCon fuel cycle is actually valuable fuel for future fast neutron reactors capable of efficiently burning thorium and depleted uranium. This will extend proven resources from centuries to millennia.
Weapons Proliferation
Normal reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel from standard water moderated reactors involves separation of fissile material from the waste, and could lead to weapons-grade plutonium. This separation step is not necessary, however, if the spent fuel is to be used in a fast neutron reactor. These reactors can tolerate a much higher level of contaminants in the reprocessed fuel.
Elysium's process for making fresh fuel from spent fuel rods is very simple. The rods are chopped into 2cm chunks and dissolved in a vat of molten chloride salt. The solids are filtered out and the remaining liquid is used as fuel. Plutonium is added to bring the total fissile to the 10% needed for sustained burning. Weapons-grade plutonium, left over from the cold war, is denatured (diluted with reactor-grade) before delivery to the fuel processing plant. At no point in the processing or consumption of fuel is there any weapons-grade material.[8]
Cost
Specs for a 500MWe plant:
Plant cost per KW (including building but not land, permits or licensing):
Operating cost per KWh (including fuel and maintenance):
Initial fuel load:
Fuel consumption per day:
Notes and References
- ↑ This is a footnote to an image caption.
- ↑ Molten Salt Reactors World Nuclear Association Information Library.
- ↑ Fast Neutron Reactors World Nuclear Association Information Library.
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast-neutron_reactor
- ↑ Elysium Industries MCSFR Ed Pheil, the designer, speaks at Thorium Energy Alliance 2019.
- ↑ https://thorconpower.com/fuel/
- ↑ ThorCon power plants can store up to 80 years of used fuel onboard, using passive air cooling. https://thorconpower.com/fuel
- ↑ This video clip from Ed Pheil's presentation at TEAC 10 is the clearest explanation of Elysium's process.