SaLIENT-01

Preparation and start of irradiation of thorium-bearing molten fluoride salt in graphite crucibles

Conference paper (2020)

Authors

P. R. Hania NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten
Dennis Boomstra NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten
O. Beneš European Commission Joint Research Centre
P. Souček European Commission Joint Research Centre
A. de Koning NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten
R. Konings NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten
E. Capelli RST/Reactor Physics and Nuclear Materials - AS
P. Baas NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten
G. I.A. Lippens NRG (Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group) Petten
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Research Group
RST/Reactor Physics and Nuclear Materials (AS) (TU Delft)
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Published Date

2020

Language

English

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Faculty

Applied Sciences

Department

RST/Radiation, Science and Technology

Research Group

RST/Reactor Physics and Nuclear Materials

Abstract

NRG together with JRC Karlsruhe has set out to perform a series of molten fuel salt irradiations in the High Flux Reactor (HFR) Petten, to build up irradiation experience with molten salt samples, the handling of irradiated salt and the treatment of salt waste produced by these irradiations. As a first step, an irradiation of small 78LiF-22ThF4 fuel samples in graphite crucibles is being conducted under the name SALIENT-01 (SALt Irradiation ExperimeNT). The specific goals for SALIENT-01 are (i) to confirm claims of good fission product retention in the salt by post-irradiation Knudsen-cell effusion by fission product release measurements, in particular with respect to Cs and I which dominate the radioactive release during thermal transient and fuel failure in conventional reactor fuel, as for example occurred in the Fukushima accident, (ii) to obtain size distributions for noble metal particles using Transmission Electron Microscopy and (iii) to assess possible interactions between fuel salt and fine-grained nuclear graphite, as well as possible uptake of fission products by the graphite. The SALIENT-01 irradiation has started in August 2017 and is projected to finish in August 2019. In this contribution the design, irradiation history and status of the experiment are treated, as well as plans for post-irradiation examinations. The limitations of the experiment will also be discussed, as well as the follow-up actions taken to assess its representativeness and to improve the quality of future molten salt irradiations.