100-MW Molten Salt Thorium Reactor Operates Without Fissile Fuel Replenishment

A novel molten salt reactor (MSR) operating in the thermal spectrum proposes to fuel the core solely with thorium-232 (Th232), a fertile fuel. This triple-fluid reactor comprises a molten thorium salt serving as a blanket, heavy water as a moderator, and molten uranium salt as the fuel salt. According to its designers, fission occurs exclusively within the fuel salt, while neutrons are absorbed by the blanket where Th232 is converted primarily to uranium-233 (U233). A proprietary system periodically transfers generated uranium—at a rate of a few grams per transfer—from the blanket to the fuel salt, several times per hour of operation. Traces of uranium-232 and uranium-234 are also generated in the blanket.