Effect of FLiBe thermal neutron scattering on reactivity of molten salt reactor

Abstract

Thermal neutron scattering data has an important influence on the calculation and design of reactor with a thermal spectrum. However, as the only liquid fuel in the Gen-IV reactor candidates, the research on the thermal neutron scattering effect of coolant and somewhat moderator FLiBe has not been carried out sufficiently either experimentally or theoretically. The effect of FLiBe thermal neutron scattering on reactivity of TMSR-LF (thorium molten salt reactor - liquid fuel), TMSR-SF (thorium molten salt reactor - solid fuel) and MSRE (molten salt reactor experiment) were investigated and compared. Results show that the effect of FLiBe thermal neutron scattering on reactivity depends to some extent on the fuel-graphite volume ratio of core. Calculations indicate that FLiBe thermal neutron scattering of MSRE (with the hardest spectrum) has the minimum effect of 41 pcm on reactivity, and FLiBe thermal neutron scattering of TMSR-SF (with the softest spectrum) has the maximum effect of -94 pcm on reactivity, and FLiBe thermal neutron scattering of TMSR-LF has an effect of -61 pcm on reactivity at 900 K.