GEN IV WEBINAR – 8:30 am EDT

July 26, 2023

Many molten salt reactor designs involve the circulation of a cover gas to remove evolved fission products and maintain an inert atmosphere. The cover gas leaving the reactor core is expected to contain noble and non-noble gases, aerosols, volatile species, tritium, and other radionuclides. To remove these radioactive gases, developing a robust off-gas system is necessary, along with novel sensors to monitor the gas stream and the treatment system performance. In recent years, a new class of functional materials known as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been discovered using machine learning tools to identify key candidates for specific uses. In this study, a MOF was engineered to capture of xenon, which is a major contributor to the off-gas source term. The engineered MOF column was tested with a residual gas analyzer (RGA) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) sensor for noble gas capture, separation, and monitoring. The RGA and LIBS sensor was used to monitor breakthrough tests with various Xe, Kr, and Ar mixtures to determine the Xe capacity, as well as the selectivity of the MOF. This study offers an initial demonstration of the feasibility of xenon separation
(MOF) and monitoring using a LIBS sensor to aid in the development of new capture and sensor systems for molten salt reactors.

Who should attend: policymakers, managers, regulators, students, general public