Method to remove and process gaseous waste from a molten salt nuclear reactor

摘要

The disposal of gaseous fission products from the fuel tubes of a molten salt reactor may be deferred until the fuel tubes are removed from the reactor for replacement and reprocessing provided the rate of evolution of said gases, the available gas space above the fuel salt and the strength of the fuel tube wall allow the safe accumulation of said gases for the planned life of the fuel tube. For reactors not meeting the above criteria, however, each fuel tube may be pierced or perforated at one or more points above the level of the fuel salt therein, and above the level of a surrounding coolant within the reactor, so that fission product gases can escape into the gas space within the reactor tank. The gaseous fission products may then be collected from the reactor by continually purging said gas space with a circulating stream of helium gas.