Molten salt natural-circulation loop

An IHTR is a pebble-bed molten salt-cooled reactor. Pebbles consist of TRISO-coated particle fuel, and the coolant is driven through natural circulation. The reactor core is a long right circular cylinder with an annular core that consists of fuel pebbles and molten salt coolant. Fig. 15.13 shows a schematic of a 600-MWth IHTR. There are graphite neutron reflectors in the center and on the top, bottom, and outside of this fuel annulus. Vertical bores in the central and outer reflectors are provided for the reactivity control elements. R D activities being pursued include a molten salt natural circulation loop, as shown in Fig. 15.14, which has been set up to perform thermal... 

Figure 15.13 Molten salt natural-circulation loop.

The molten salt coolant natural circulation loop includes the reactor core filled with spherical fuel elements and absorber and graphite elements the top, bottom and annular side reflectors the draught section (chimney) and salt-air heat exchangers. The side reflector material consists of the circulating molten salt coolant. 

The high-temperature salt molten salt test loop and the nitrate natural circulation loop operate with the liquid nitrate (Han et al., 2013). 

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