Abstract: An integral molten salt nuclear reactor includes a drain tank section configured to hold a volume of fuel salt. The integral molten salt nuclear reactor further includes a reactor section configured to receive the volume of fuel salt from the drain tank and cause fission reactions that heats the molten salt. The integral molten salt nuclear reactor further includes a heat exchange section configured to receive a flow of the heated fuel salt from the reactor section and remove heat therefrom.

Abstract: A fission product trap for a reactor system, such as for a pipe connection and/or a pump shaft of a pump of the reactor system, includes a porous container. The porous container may be mounted about the pipe connection and/or pump shaft and include an absorbing material contained therein. The absorbing material may be configured to collect fission products emitted from the pipe connection and/or the pump shaft. The fission product trap further includes an assembly encompassing the porous container and that defines a volume about the porous container and the pipe connection and/or the pump shaft.

Abstract: A device for in-situ corrosion monitoring in a molten salt reactor system includes a mounting structure and a plurality of probes. Each probe of the plurality of probes may have a main portion and a thinned region that together define a sealed chamber with the mounting structure. Each thinned region of the plurality of probes may be configured to corrosively fail, when exposed to a corrosive environment, both: (i) before any main portion of the plurality of probes, and (ii) temporarily in series with the other thinned portions of the plurality of probes. The device may further include a plurality of sensing features corresponding to the plurality of probes, each sensing feature disposed in a respective sealed chamber of the plurality of probes. Each sensing feature may be configured to detect a breach of the respective sealed chamber caused by the corrosive failure of the thinned region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a reactor thermal management system. A molten salt reactor vessel and a second component (e.g., a drain tank) fluidly coupled with the molten salt reactor vessel are configured to receive a flow of a molten salt therewith. The reactor thermal management system includes an internal shield or vessel encompassing the molten salt reactor vessel and the second component, the internal shield or vessel defining a first thermally insulative region therein. The internal shield or vessel is configured to maintain the first thermally insulated region above a melting temperature of the molten salt during operation of the molten salt reactor vessel.

Abstract: A molten salt reactor system includes a fuel salt system configured to circulate a molten salt through a reactor vessel. The molten salt reactor system further includes an inert gas system fluidically coupled with the fuel salt system and configured to maintain a pressurized volume fluidically between the molten salt and a drain tank by circulating an inert gas along a first inert flow path. The molten salt reactor system further includes an equalization system configured to equalize pressure between all head spaces of the molten salt reactor system including the reactor vessel and the drain tank in response to a shutdown event. The inert gas system is configured to cease maintenance of the pressurized volume in response to the shutdown event.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system according to which first and second transducers are connected to first and second waveguides, respectively, the first and second waveguides are connected to a pipe, and ultrasonic wave signals are exchanged between the first and second transducers, said ultrasonic wave signals passing through the first and second waveguides, the pipe, and a fluid in the pipe. A temperature of the fluid flowing in the pipe may exceed about 600° C. The first and second waveguides insulate the first and second transducers from the pipe and propagate the ultrasonic wave signals between the pipe and the first and second transducers, respectively, so that the ability of the first and second transducers to exchange the ultrasonic wave signals is not adversely affected by the temperature of the fluid in the pipe. The first and second waveguides may be made of a calcium silicate technical ceramic.