Hybrid spectrum molten salt reactor

The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) concept has a unique feature, if compared to the majority of other reactor designs, that its fuel is liquid. This property creates, on one hand, several technical challenges; on the other hand, it offers flexibility in shaping and designing of the active core. Accordingly, single fuel fluid can, for instance, circulate through several core zones with different moderation ratios. This possibility was already considered in the past; however, in relation to the thermal MSR. In the presented study, an extreme case of hybrid spectrum MSR is proposed and preliminarily analyzed. It is concluded that hybrid spectrum may provide several advantages and could be applicable especially during the initial phase of the fuel cycle or by the transition to equilibrium cycle. (author)