Design and Control of a Fueled Molten Salt Cartridge Experiment for the Versatile Test Reactor

Abstract

The mission of the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is to enable accelerated testing of advanced reactor fuels and materials as required for advanced reactor technologies. Each advanced reactor type has unique challenges, and these challenges affect the design of the testing vehicles used for accelerated testing. For molten salt reactor testing, some of the key focus areas are (1) understanding the complex thermal-hydraulic systems and materials that will facilitate heat removal from the reactor core, (2) mitigating the corrosion-associated issues that arise from using these materials at high temperatures, and (3) understanding how to measure and control salt composition/chemistry and properties during irradiation. This paper details the progress made toward surmounting these challenges to support future molten salt cartridge experiments in the VTR. Broadly, this work involves two major thrusts: design and analysis of an operating cartridge loop, and development of the instrumentation and control system needed to operate the loop successfully.