An anti-proliferation technique is disclosed to reduce the likelihood of nuclear proliferation due to the use fissionable fuel salts. The technique includes doping the fuel salt with one or more elements (referred to herein as activation dopants) that, upon exposure to neutrons such as would occur in the fuel salt when a reactor is in operation, undergo a nuclear reaction to, directly or indirectly, form highly active “protecting isotopes” (of the same element as the activation dopant or a different element). A sufficient mass of activation dopants is used so that the Figure of Merit (FOM) of the fuel salt is decreased to below 1.0 within some target number of days of fission. This allows the FOM of the fuel salt to be controlled so that the fuel becomes too dangerous to handle before to the creation of a significant amount of weaponizable isotopes.

Alternative designs for a modular test reactor are presented. In one aspect, a molten fuel salt nuclear reactor includes a vessel defining a reactor volume, the vessel being open-topped and otherwise having no penetrations. A neutron reflector is provided within the vessel and displacing at least some of the reactor volume, the neutron reflector defining a reactor core volume. A plurality of heat exchangers are contained within the vessel above the neutron reflector. A flow guide assembly is provided within the neutron reflector that includes a draft tube draft tube separating a central portion of the reactor core volume from an annular downcomer duct. Fuel salt circulates from the reactor core volume, through the heat exchangers, into the downcomer duct and then back into the reactor core volume.

Alternative designs for a modular test reactor are presented. In one aspect, a molten fuel salt nuclear reactor includes a vessel defining a reactor volume, the vessel being open-topped and otherwise having no penetrations. A neutron reflector is provided within the vessel and displacing at least some of the reactor volume, the neutron reflector defining a reactor core volume. A plurality of heat exchangers are contained within the vessel above the neutron reflector. A flow guide assembly is provided within the neutron reflector that includes a draft tube draft tube separating a central portion of the reactor core volume from an annular downcomer duct. Fuel salt circulates from the reactor core volume, through the heat exchangers, into the downcomer duct and then back into the reactor core volume.

A canned rotodynamiic flow machine (1) configured for operating with a working fluid such as molten salt of a molten salt nuclear reactor, comprising an impeller (6) arranged in a volute (3), with an inlet (4) and an outlet (5) for the working fluid, an induction or reluctance motor or generator comprising a stator (10) and a rotor (8), a can (18) separating a working fluid area in which the rotor (8) is arranged from a dry area containing the stator (10). The rotor (8) is operably coupled to the impeller (6). The stator (10) comprises stator windings for inducing a magnetic field that penetrates the rotor (8). The stator windings are distributed in slots (11) arranged in the stator (10). The part of the stator windings inside the slots is formed by one or more electrically conductive solid bars (12). An active magnetic bearing for use in a canned rotor dynamic flow machine for a molten salt nuclear reactor, comprising a stator (110,210) and a rotor (108,208). The said stator (108,208) comprises stator windings for inducing a magnetic field that penetrates the rotor (108,208). The stator windings are distributed in one or more slots arranged in the stator. The part of the stator windings inside said one or more slots is formed by one or more electrically conductive solid bars.

A canned rotodynamiic flow machine (1) configured for operating with a working fluid such as molten salt of a molten salt nuclear reactor, comprising an impeller (6) arranged in a volute (3), with an inlet (4) and an outlet (5) for the working fluid, an induction or reluctance motor or generator comprising a stator (10) and a rotor (8), a can (18) separating a working fluid area in which the rotor (8) is arranged from a dry area containing the stator (10). The rotor (8) is operably coupled to the impeller (6). The stator (10) comprises stator windings for inducing a magnetic field that penetrates the rotor (8). The stator windings are distributed in slots (11) arranged in the stator (10). The part of the stator windings inside the slots is formed by one or more electrically conductive solid bars (12). An active magnetic bearing for use in a canned rotor dynamic flow machine for a molten salt nuclear reactor, comprising a stator (110,210) and a rotor (108,208). The said stator (108,208) comprises stator windings for inducing a magnetic field that penetrates the rotor (108,208). The stator windings are distributed in one or more slots arranged in the stator. The part of the stator windings inside said one or more slots is formed by one or more electrically conductive solid bars.

The present invention relates to a molten salt-metal reactor for implementing a micro-reactor, and more specifically, to a molten salt-metal reactor including a liquid metal nuclear fuel and a molten salt coolant, wherein the molten salt coolant is disposed in an upper portion of the liquid metal nuclear fuel such that the heat generated from the nuclear fuel is transferred to the molten salt coolant and cooled.

The present invention relates to a molten salt-metal reactor for implementing a micro-reactor, and more specifically, to a molten salt-metal reactor including a liquid metal nuclear fuel and a molten salt coolant, wherein the molten salt coolant is disposed in an upper portion of the liquid metal nuclear fuel such that the heat generated from the nuclear fuel is transferred to the molten salt coolant and cooled.

The present invention relates to a device adapted for producing energy by nuclear fission, the device comprising a core container of a core container material, which core container encloses an inner tubing of an inner tubing material, the inner tubing and/or the core container having an inlet and an outlet, the device further comprising a molten halide salt located in the core container or in the inner tubing, wherein the inner tubing comprises one or more sections consisting of single crystal corundum. The invention further relates to methods of controlling nuclear fission processes using the device and to the use of a corundum tube as a structural material in a nuclear fission device. The invention provides improved economy in molten salt nuclear fission processes.

The present invention relates to a device adapted for producing energy by nuclear fission, the device comprising a core container of a core container material, which core container encloses an inner tubing of an inner tubing material, the inner tubing and/or the core container having an inlet and an outlet, the device further comprising a molten halide salt located in the core container or in the inner tubing, wherein the inner tubing comprises one or more sections consisting of single crystal corundum. The invention further relates to methods of controlling nuclear fission processes using the device and to the use of a corundum tube as a structural material in a nuclear fission device. The invention provides improved economy in molten salt nuclear fission processes.

A simple nuclear reactor in which most of the reflector material is outside of the reactor vessel is described. The reactor vessel is a cylinder that contains all of the fuel salt and a displacement component, which may be a reflector, in the upper section of the reactor vessel. Other than the displacement component, the reflector elements including a radial reflector and a bottom reflector are located outside the vessel. The salt flows around the outside surface of the displacement component through a downcomer heat exchange duct defined by the exterior of the displacement component and the interior surface of the reactor vessel. This design reduces the overall size of the reactor vessel for a given volume of salt relative to designs with internal radial or bottom reflectors.