Transatomic Power Corporation has released technical information on the design of its molten salt reactor (MSR), which it says offers multiple advantages over existing generation technologies. The technical white paper issued by the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company outlines how its 1250 MWth reactor design – the TAP MSR – uses the properties of its liquid fuel to increase fuel utilization while decreasing the overall amount of waste produced. Transatomic published the white paper after the US Department of Energy awarded it a $200,000 grant under its Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Nuclear Energy Voucher pilot program. The funding will enable the company to perform high-fidelity modelling of the design in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The reactor technology on which the TAP MSR is based was first demonstrated at ORNL in the 1960s.
World Nuclear News 8th July 2016 read more »