The essentials
TOPIC
Why liquid fuel
Fuel in the coolant means no fuel cladding to fail, no pellet-clad interaction, and continuous refuelling without shutting down.
TOPIC
The freeze plug
A frozen salt plug held solid by active cooling. Lose power and it melts, draining the core into passively cooled tanks. Safety by physics, not by pumps.
TOPIC
What is still hard
Materials. Hot fluoride salt attacks almost everything, and the qualified alloy list is short. That, not neutronics, is the schedule driver.
1 atm
Operating pressure
1965
First operated
PASSIVE
Drain safety
MATERIALS
Key challenge
Go deeper.
Part of the Porritt Inc. energy library. Questions or corrections are welcome.
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