Talk:FC-MSR nuclear reactor

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Revision as of 21:16, 23 March 2022 by David MacQuigg (talk | contribs) (→‎Risk of proliferation: add quote from Wikipedia article re online fuel processing)
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 Definition Elysium's reactor with no moderator, capable of burning spent nuclear fuel and bomb cores. [d] [e]
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Risk of proliferation

Union of Concerned Scientists report: "Advanced" Isn't Always Better, Edwin Lyman (2021).
https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/advanced-isnt-always-better
“We studied the most prominent “advanced” nuclear reactor designs. Unfortunately, few are safer or more secure than current generation reactors.”
From the Executive Summary:
“All MSRs chemically treat the fuel to varying extents while the reactor operates to remove radioactive isotopes that affect reactor performance. Therefore, unlike other reactors, MSRs generally require on-site chemical plants to process their fuel. MSRs also need elaborate systems to capture and treat large volumes of highly radioactive gaseous byproducts.”

Discussing the need for online fuel processing a Wikipedia article on Molten salt reactors says:
"Chlorine, unlike fluorine, must be purified to isolate the heavier stable isotope, chlorine-37, thus reducing production of sulfur tetrachloride that occurs when chlorine-35 absorbs a neutron to become chlorine-36, then degrades by beta decay to sulfur-36."

Intermediate Level Waste

Will it be more of a problem with unmoderated (fast neutron) reactors? "all of the reactor components exposed to neutron flux will become what's called intermediate level waste (ILW) following decommissioning. These wastes will end up having a larger volume than high level/spent fuel." from a recent discussion in the FaceBook forum Renewables vs Nuclear Debate