CX-020914: The Design and Investigation of Novel Mechanical Filters for Molten Salt Reactors – Abilene Christian University

Abilene Christian University (ACU) proposes to characterize the hydraulic properties of sintered nickel filters for molten salt in a
simple filter design, measure the effectiveness of in-situ method for filter regeneration to reduce or eliminate the need for filter
replacement and develop and evaluate multiple novel filter designs to facilitate radiation surveying, monitoring, remote handling, and
filter replacement and cooling when needed. The final objective is to design, build, and test at least one promising prototype novel
filter for comparison with the simple design. Initial investigation of media properties will use a filter of standard size and media
geometry. For testing regeneration (backwash) capabilities, a more robust design will be used to allow a reverse flow. For the design of novel filters, specifications include the ability to shield and cool the filter during removal and a surveying process for fissile material which will likely involve active shielded gamma ray spectroscopy to overcome the high background. The three types of filters that may be able to support operation in a molten salt reactor are the foaming filter, centrifugal filter, and cooled filter. The tasks associated with this project are (1) Characterization of filter media; (2) Characterization of in-situ cleaning effectiveness; and (3) Novel prototype design, construction, and testing. Existing and already-in-construction laboratory facilities will be used.