Design & Engineering for a new Generation IV nuclear reactor

Canada

The Moltex Stable Salt Reactor Wasteburner (SSR-W) consists of a new Generation IV nuclear reactor based on the use of molten salts as nuclear fuel and primary coolant.

The SSR-W reactor will use nuclear fuel coming from current nuclear spent fuel (CANDU spent fuel) reprocessed through an innovative patented method called Waste To Stable Salts (WATSS) consisting of three main stages – Chemical Decladding, Electroreduction & Isotopes salt conversion.

The purpose of this project was thus to support Moltex in the following areas:

• Specialized studies for the sizing and preliminary design of specific components and systems:

• • Fuel assemblies
  • Reactor flow pattern definition – CFD
  • Reactor Tank
  • Coolant loops configuration
  • Primary heat exchangers and pumps
  • Reprocessing facility and main reactors

• Licensee support for the consecution of the Vendor Design Review (VDR) phases 1 & 2 according to the Canadian regulation from Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) covering the following Focus Areas:

• • Emergency Heat Removal
  • Instrumentation & Control
  • Out of Core Criticality
  • Pressure Boundary
  • Containment
  • Radio Protection
  • Decommissioning

• Preliminary layout of the complete facility and specifically:

• • SSR-W Nuclear Island
  • WATSS Reprocessing facility

• Project management and Project control:

• • Planning
  • Cost assessment
  • Management System build-up
  • National Laboratories and other external collaborators management and follow-up

The project involves different design activities. Among these, there are I&C, thermal-hydraulics analysis of normal and emergency cooling loops, structural analysis and seismic analysis, plant layout distribution and other nuclear design considerations. The works involve the engineering of a new kind of reactor and require significant technical and management skills. Also, it must be noted that the aim of the work is to fulfill regulatory compliance by means of technical consultancy.

Advanced Reactors & SMR