• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.1091-1099
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• 2024

Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR) is a promising nuclear reactor technology. Among many challenges presented by the molten fluoride salts is the corrosion of salt-facing structural components. Higher moisture contents, in the FLiNaK (LiF-NaF-KF, 46.5-11.5-42 mol%) salt, aggravate intergranular corrosion and pitting for the given alloys. Therefore, several thermal dehydration tests of FLiNaK salt were performed with a batch size suitable for thermal-hydraulic experiments. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) was performed for the three constituent fluoride salts individually. Preliminary thermal dehydration plans were then proposed for NaF and KF salts based on the TGA curves. However, the dehydration process may not be required for LiF since its low mass loss (<1.3 wt%). To evaluate the performance of these thermal dehydration plans, a batch-scale salt dehydration test facility was designed and constructed. The preliminary thermal dehydration plans were tested by varying the heating rates, target temperature, and holding time. The sample mass loss data showed that the high temperatures (>500 ℃) were necessary to remove a significant amount of moisture (>1 wt%) from NaF salt, while relatively low temperatures (around 300 ℃) with a long holding time (>10 h) were sufficient to remove most of the moisture from KF salt.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.1324-1331
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• 2023

In the present work, we carried out a molecular dynamics study of the kinetic properties of the FLiNaK molten salt, as well as a detailed study of the structure of this salt melt. The high value of the self-diffusion coefficient of fluorine ions is due to the large number of Coulomb repulsions between the most numerous negative ions. The calculated values of shear viscosity are in good agreement with the experimental data, as well as with the reference data obtained on the basis of finding the most reliable data. The total and partial functions of the radial distribution are calculated. According to the statistical analysis, fluorine ions have the greatest numerical diversity in the environment of similar ions, and sodium ions with the lowest representation in FLiNaK, have the least such diversity. For the subsystem of fluorine ions, the rotational symmetry of the fifth order is the most pronounced. Some of the fluorine ions form linear chains consisting of three atoms, which are not formed for positive ions. The results of the work give an understanding of the behavior molten FLiNaK under operating conditions in a molten salt reactor and will find application in future studies of this molten salt.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.227-232
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• 2012

Inconel 617 and Hastelloy X are the most promising candidate materials for the heat exchanger of next generation nuclear reactor. Surface coating and its effects on high temperature properties for the Inconel 617 and Hastelloy X under molten FLiNaK (LiF-NaF-KF) salt environment have been investigated. For TiAlN and $Al_2O_3$ overlay coatings, the two different PVD (physical vapor deposition) methods of an arc discharge and a sputtering were applied, respectively. A study for the thermal stability of the surface modified Ni-Cr alloy substrates has been conducted. To evaluate the corrosion mechanism of Ni-Cr alloys in the molten salt, a ruptured Inconel pipe used for the molten salt transportation has been analyzed. The thermal properties of morphological and structural properties each sample were characterized before and after heat-treatment at $600^{\circ}C$ in molten FLiNaK salt. The results showed that the TiAlN and $Al_2O_3$ overlay coated specimens had the enhanced high temperature stability.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.490-494
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• 2019

Experimental studies to investigate the behaviors of hydrogen in molten FLiNaK (LiF-NaF-KF) have been conducted at $500-700^{\circ}C$. On the basis of previous studies, the diffusivity and solubility of hydrogen in FLiNaK have been revised, and the expressions can be correlated to the following Arrhenius equations: $D_{H2}=1.62{\times}10^{-5}{\exp}(-48.20{\times}10^3/Rg{\cdot}T) m^2/s]$ and $S_{H2}=1.03{\times}10^{-4}{\exp}(-14.96{\times}10^3/Rg{\cdot}T) [mol-H_2/m^3/Pa]$, respectively. The behavior characteristics of deuterium in FLiNaK were studied and compared with the hydrogen behaviors in FLiNaK. The results showed the behaviors of deuterium were consistence with the behaviors of hydrogen in FLiNaK. The difference between hydrogen and deuterium has not been observed upon the experimental research of the behavior characteristics of hydrogen and deuterium in FLiNaK, which suggested the results obtained here might apply equally to the behavior characteristics of tritium in FLiNaK.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.762-769
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• 2024

The TMSR-SF0 simulator is an integral effect thermal-hydraulic experimental system for the development of thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR) program in China. The simulator has two heat transport loops with liquid FLiNaK. In literature, the 95% level confidence uncertainties of the thermophysical properties of FLiNaK are recommended, and the uncertainties of density, heat capacity, thermal conductivity and viscosity are ±2%, ±10, ±10% and ±10% respectively. In order to investigate the effects of thermophysical properties uncertainties on the molten salt heat transport system, the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of the heat transfer characteristics of the simulator system are carried out on a RELAP5 model. The uncertainties of thermophysical properties are incorporated in simulation model and the Monte Carlo sampling method is used to propagate the input uncertainties through the model. The simulation results indicate that the uncertainty propagated to core outlet temperature is about ±10 ℃ with a confidence level of 95% in a steady-state operation condition. The result should be noted in the design, operation and code validation of molten salt reactor. In addition, more experimental data is necessary for quantifying the uncertainty of thermophysical properties of molten salts.