Safety Comparison of Molten Salt Reactors with Light-water and Heavy-water Nuclear Reactors

Ovaj završni rad bavi se usporedbom predloženog dizajna reaktora s tekućim solima i uspoređuje ih sa dizajnom lakovodnih i teškovodnih reaktora sa stajališta sigurnosti. Rad također u detalj opisuje osnovne fizikalne principe rada nuklearnog reaktora, proučava projekte, prošle i sadašnje, koji su se bavili konceptom reaktora s tekućim solima. Rad isto tako opisuje potencijalna riješenja na problem gomilanja nuklearnog otpada, i mogućnost procesiranja tog otpada kako bi mu se smanjio volumen i reaktivnost. Proučavamo i svojstva nuklearnog goriva, te kako bi se ta svojstva mogla poboljšati ako bi se koristilo gorivo u tekućem obliku. U konačnici rad zaključuje da reaktor s tekućim solima ima brojne teoretske prednosti nad lakovodnim i teškovodnim reaktorima i da bi mogao potencijalno zamjeniti termoelekrane na fosilna goriva, kao izvor energije s malim emisijama stakleničkih plinova.The thesis compares the molten salt reactor design with light water, and heavy water reactor designs from a safety standpoint. It also describes in detail basic fizical principles of nuclear energy, it examines the projects, past and present, which deal with the concept of molten salt reactor. The thesis also dwells into the problem of stockpiled nuclear waste, and possibility to reproces the said waste in order to decrease its volume and reactivity. It also examines the properties of nuclear fuel, and how that properties could be improved by using fuel in liquid form. Finally the thesis concludes that molten salt reactor design offers many theoretical advantages compared with light and heavy water reactors, and that the design could be a potential replacement for fossil fuel based power plants, as an energy source with low greenhouse gas emissions