Molten salt reactor containment

A containment system for an integral molten salt reactor comprising

• an integral molten salt reactor comprising
• an integrally constructed vessel defining a critical region and a subcritical region,
• a heat exchanger disposed within the critical region,
• a reactor core disposed within the critical region,
• a drain tank disposed within the subcritical region, wherein the heat exchanger, reactor core, and drain tank are fully enclosed within the integrally constructed vessel, and
• a fuel salt,
• wherein the integral molten salt reactor is configured to
• circulate the fuel salt within the critical region,
• heat the fuel salt via fission reactions caused within the reactor core,
• export heat from the fuel salt at the heat exchanger, and
• upon a shutdown event, cause the fuel salt to gravitationally transfer to the drain tank by altering a pressure differential between the critical region and the subcritical region;
• a sealed containment structure defining a containment volume, wherein the integrally constructed vessel is fully disposed within the containment volume, and wherein the sealed containment structure surrounds a fission product adsorbing/absorbing material positioned within the containment volume and radially outside of the integrally constructed vessel, the fission product adsorbing/absorbing material encompassing the integrally constructed vessel, such that the heat exchanger, the reactor core, and the drain tank are surrounded by the fission product adsorbing/absorbing material;
• and
• an inert gas system comprising
• a subcritical region gas line extending into the drain tank configured to deliver an inert gas to the drain tank thereby changing a pressure of the drain tank;
• and
• a critical region gas line extending into the integrally constructed vessel, terminating proximal to the reactor core and configured to deliver the inert gas to the critical region thereby changing a pressure of the critical region;
• wherein the fission product adsorbing/absorbing material at least partially encompasses the subcritical region gas line and the critical region gas line;
• and
• wherein the inert gas system is configured to alter the pressure differential between the critical region and the subcritical region by manipulating the pressure of the drain tank and the pressure in the critical region via selective delivery of the inert gas through the subcritical region gas line and the critical region gas line, thereby selectively causing the fuel salt to circulate to the critical region or the subcritical region.