The Design and Performance Features of a Single-Fluid Molten-Salt Breeder Reactor

A conceptual design has been made of a single-fluid 1000 MW(e) Molten-Salt Breeder Reactor (MSBR) power station based on the capabilities of present technology. The reactor vessel is ~22ft in diameter × 20 ft high and is fabricated of Hastelloy-N with graphite as the moderator and reflector. The fuel is 233U carried in a LiF-BeF2-ThF4 mixture which is molten above 930°F. Thorium is converted to 233U in excess of fissile burnup so that bred material is a plant product. The estimated fuel yield is 3.3% per year.The estimated construction cost of the station is comparable to PWR total construction costs. The power production cost, including fuel-cycle and graphite replacement costs, with private utility financing, is estimated to be 0.5 to 1 mill/kWh less than that for present-day light-water reactors, largely due to the low fuel-cycle cost and high plant thermal efficiency.After engineering development of the fuel purification processes and large-scale components, a practical plant similar to the one described here appears to be feasible.