Safety

In principle, the thorium molten salt reactor solves the safety problems of the conventional mainstream nuclear reactor, the light water reactor.

冷却材に水を使用しないので、原子炉内は基本的に常圧(約5気圧以内)であり、原子炉からの熔融塩の漏洩や設備の破損といった高圧に伴う事故の危険性がありません。また、燃料被覆管のジルコニウムと水との過熱反応により水素が発生するようなことは起こりえず、従って、水素爆発が起こることもありません。

Since it has a negative temperature reactivity coefficient effect that the nuclear fission reaction weakens when the temperature inside the reactor rises, the temperature inside the reactor does not rise above a certain level, and runaway of the reactor does not occur. Even if the control rods do not function in an emergency, the reactor can be shut down by discharging the fuel salt to the drain tank, and re-criticality will not occur in the drain tank where there is no moderator.

Molten salt has a boiling point of approximately 1500°C, which is sufficiently high compared to the normal operating temperature of approximately 700°C. In principle, a serious accident such as a meltdown cannot occur.

Molten salt is chemically stable and nonflammable, so there is no risk of fire. Even if the molten salt fuel leaks out of the reactor, it does not react with air or water and solidifies into a vitreous state through natural cooling, so radioactive materials will not be trapped inside the building and released outside.