fy2018 nuclear energy university programs cinr … · molten salt chemistry at doe national...

FY2018NUCLEARENERGYUNIVERSITYPROGRAMSCINRWEBINAR– OCTOBER25,2017

FederalPOC– Dr.StephenKung;Stephen.kung@hq.doe.gov;301-903-8074TechnicalPOC– Dr.DavidHolcomb;Holcombde@ornl.gov;865-576-7889AdvancedReactorTechnologiesOfficeDirector– Ms.AliceCaponiti(DOE-NE)MoltenSaltReactorProgramManager– Mr.BrianRobinson(DOE-NE)MSRNationalTechnicalDirector– Dr.LouQualls(ORNL)

ELIGIBLETOLEAD:UNIVERSITIESONLYUpto3years;$800K

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RC-2:SaltBehaviorinMoltenSaltReactors

RC-2.1:PredictingtheChemicalSpeciation,Structure,andDynamicsofSaltSolutionsforMoltenSaltReactors

RC-2.2:DevelopmentofMoltenSaltReactorFuelSaltIrradiationCapabilities

RC-2.3:UnderstandtheStructureandSpeciationofMoltenSaltattheAtomicandMolecularScale

NEUPRC-2:SaltBehaviorinMoltenSaltReactors

q OurNEUPsolicitationseekstosupportinnovativeresearchatuniversitiesthatmayofferenhancedsafety,functionalityandaffordabilityofmoltensalttechnologies.

q Ourplannedpathforward:ü Tore-establishrobustcorecompetenciesandR&Dcapabilitiesin

MoltenSaltChemistryatDOEnationallaboratoriesandU.S.universities

ü TosupportMSRresearchcommunitytotrainbroad-basednextgenerationexpertise

ü Toprovideatechnicalbasis,incoordinationwithMSRdevelopers,forsupportingtheU.S.industries’goalforcommercializationofMSRtechnologies

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https://www.ornl.gov/content/molten-salt-chemistry-workshop

InApril2017,theOfficeofNuclearTechnologyResearchandDevelopmentsponsoredaMoltenSaltChemistryWorkshopatOakRidgeNationalLaboratory.Areportentitled“TechnologyandAppliedR&DNeedsforMoltenSaltChemistry”isavailableat:https://www.ornl.gov/content/molten-salt-chemistry-workshop

Thereportidentifiedsixpriorityresearchdirections:ü Understanding,PredictingandOptimizingthePhysical

PropertiesofMoltenSalts

ü UnderstandingtheStructure,Dynamics,andChemicalPropertiesofMoltenSalts

ü UnderstandingFissionandActivationProductChemistryandRadiationChemistry

ü UnderstandingMaterialsCompatibilityandInterfacialPhenomena

ü GuidingNextGenerationMaterialsforMoltenSaltReactors

ü CreatingaVirtualReactorSimulation

ExpectedOutcomesfromNEUPProjects

q Engagetoptalentsfrombroaduniversitycommunitiestoadvancemoltensaltscienceandtechnology

q Shouldfocusoninnovativeapproaches:

ü Totransformtheperformanceandefficiencyofmoltensalttechnologytofurtherreducetechnologycost,technicalrisks,anduncertainties;

ü Toleadtonewbreakthroughs– addressingpotentialshow-stoppersandlonger-termchallenges;and

ü ToinspireandprovidetrainingforfutureMSRresearchers/developers.

q Capitalizeonrecentbreakthroughsinnanoscienceandtechnology,advancedcharacterizationtoolsandinstrumentationmethods,andcomputationandpredictivemodelingcapabilities

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RC-2.1:PredictingtheChemicalSpeciation,Structure,andDynamicsofSaltSolutionsforMoltenSaltReactors

Developandusefirst-principlesmoleculardynamicssimulationsandcomputationalelectronicstructuremethodstoextendthelimitedexperimentaldatasetsincoveringabroadrangeofchemicalevolutionandenvironments.

Proposalsarerequestedtobetterunderstand,predict,andoptimizethephysicalproperties/thermochemicalbehaviorofmoltensalts.

q Buildmulti-componentmodelsforpredictionofphasediagrams;

q Applymoleculardynamicssimulationstopredictthermophysical andtransportproperties;and

q Developinnovativemethodtovalidatethermochemicaldatabase.

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RC-2.2:DevelopmentofMoltenSaltReactorFuelSaltIrradiationCapabilities

MSRpresentsanumberofextremeenvironmentaldemandsonreactorstructuralandfunctionalmaterials.Complexprocessesandimpactsduetoradiationeffectsattheinterfacesmustbeunderstoodandcontrolledtoensurelong-termmaterialreliability.

Proposalsarerequestedtobetterunderstandmaterialscompatibilityandinterfacialphenomenatoacceleratetherateanddecreasethecostoffuelsaltirradiation.Topicsmayinclude:

q Understandmaterialscompatibilityinmoltensaltsreactorconditions;

q Understandandcontroldegradationprocessesattheinterface;

q Understandthecombinedeffectsofchemistryandradiationattheinterface;

q Predictliquid-solidandliquid-gasinterfacialinteractions.

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RC-2.3:UnderstandtheStructureandSpeciationofMoltenSaltattheAtomicandMolecularScale

Tounderstandhowthestructureanddynamicsofmoltensaltsimpacttheirphysicalandchemicalproperties—suchasviscosity,solubility,volatility,andthermalconductivity—itisnecessarytodeterminethespeciationofsaltcomponentsaswellasthelocalandintermediatestructureatoperationallyrelevanttemperatures.Real-timespectroscopicandelectrochemicalmethodscanalsohelpmonitoringkeychemicalspeciesinsolutionallowingforoptimizationofreactorperformanceandlifetime.

Proposalsarerequestedtotakeadvantageofrecentbreakthroughsinadvancedcharacterizationtoolsandinstrumentationmethodsinconjunctionwithcomputationandpredictivemodelingcapabilities.

q Determinesaltmolecularstructureusingscatteringandspectroscopicmethods;

q Developnovelelectrochemistryandspectroscopymethodsforonlinemonitoringandpredictivemodeling;and

q Developmoltensaltsopticalbasicityscaletodeterminecorrosivityandsolubilityofactinides.

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https://www.ornl.gov/content/molten-salt-chemistry-workshop

ContactStephen.kung@hq.doe.gov ifyouwishtoreceiveanelectroniccopy.