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There are a wide variety of fast spectrum molten salt reactor (FSMSR) designs and corresponding fuel cycles that shown promise. These designs differ in features. Therefore, it becomes difficult to determine whether a set of parameters is applicable to all, one, or none of these designs. This paper presents a number of iterations of a FSMSR concept with a sodium chloride carrier salt. Different design characteristics and their effects on the neurotics parameters are shown. The results show that effective delayed neutron fraction, mean neutron generation time, neutron yield, and energy of neutrons causing a fission all follow trends based off the heavy metal concentration and leakage rate. This paper also gives preliminary fuel cycle calculations and the evolution of the neutronic parameters over burnup. A FSMSR initially fueled with low enriched uranium will naturally breed at a certain core volume, without a need for refueling, for decades of full power operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Diversion of plutonium results in changes in kinetic parameters. • Dynamic models reveal signatures of plutonium removal in an Molten Salt Reactor. • Plutonium diversion ca be seen in Molten Salt Reactor frequency response. Safeguarding a Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is an underexplored research topic. The high temperature, radiation, and corrosive nature of the fuel salt make installing and using instrumentation difficult. This study introduces a new innovative way of using the reactor's frequency response to determine if plutonium is diverted. As a low enriched uranium fueled MSR undergoes burnup, plutonium builds up in the fuel salt and increasingly contributes to fissions. As a result, the kinetic parameters, mean neutron generation time and delayed neutron fraction, evolve with depletion. These changes are large enough to be discerned as unique patterns in the MSR system frequency response. Likewise, a specific pattern is seen if there is a removal of plutonium. Given the simplicity of establishing a frequency response of an operating MSR, this method presents a breakthrough in MSR safeguards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the current MSR design space and lists unique features of the various designs under consideration. Some general considerations for source terms calculation for Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) are explained. Applicability and limitations of terminology currently defined for legacy light water reactor (LWR) systems are discussed in the view of MSRs and the need for updated terminology is discussed. Calculations carried out for the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) are discussed with a qualitative comparison to the designs presented. The nature of the fission products (FPs) and actinides for Low enriched uranium, thorium and fast U/Pu fuel cycles employed in representative molten salt reactor systems are discussed. Computational results are obtained from a code (Serpent 2) with online reprocessing. Divergence in source terms when fission product bubbling is demonstrated. The source release for each molten salt reactor during postulated accidents is also presented. Image 1 • Discussion on terminology for molten salt source terms and accident scenarios are presented. • Burnup calculations and assumptions for source term analysis is presented. • Three molten salt reactor designs are compared against each other with respect to source term release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]