Molten salt reactor containment

A method of operating a containment system including an integral molten salt nuclear reactor, the method comprising

• operating an integral molten salt reactor that is housed fully within a containment volume of a sealed containment structure, the integral molten salt reactor permitting circulation of a fuel salt therein, and allowing for export of heat from said fuel salt,
• accessing a collection of maintainable components associated with the operation of the integral molten salt reactor without disturbing the fuel salt of the integral molten salt reactor held within the sealed containment structure, the collection of maintainable components packed within a fission product adsorbing/absorbing material,
• supplying inert gas into a drain tank section of the integral molten salt reactor, the drain tank section positioned within the sealed containment structure and elevationally below the fuel salt, wherein the inert gas supplied to the drain tank section generates a pressurized state of the drain tank section sufficient to prevent the fuel salt from gravitationally draining into the drain tank section,
• while supplying inert gas into the drain tank section, supplying inert gas into a head space section of an integrally constructed vessel of the integral molten salt reactor, the head space section positioned within the sealed containment structure and elevationally above the fuel salt, wherein the inert gas supplied to the head space section generates a pressurized state of the head space section less than the pressurized state of the drain tank section and defining a pressure differential therebetween,
• maintaining the pressure differential by continually supplying inert gas to the drain tank section and to the head space section during operation of the integral molten salt reactor, and
• subsequent to the operation of the integral molten salt reactor, ceasing the supply of inert gas to the drain tank section thereby gravitationally draining the fuel salt into the drain tank.

A method of operating a containment system including an integral molten salt nuclear reactor, the method comprising

• operating an integral molten salt reactor that is housed fully within a containment volume of a sealed containment structure, the integral molten salt reactor permitting circulation of a fuel salt therein, and allowing for export of heat from said fuel salt,
• holding the containment volume under vacuum pressure,
• using the containment volume to provide a thermal barrier between the integral molten salt reactor and an environment exterior to the sealed containment structure, and
• maintaining a pressure differential between a drain tank section and a reactor section by supplying inert gas from an inert gas supply of an inert gas system, selectively, to the drain tank section via a subcritical gas line extending into the drain tank section and to the reactor section via a critical gas line extending into a critical volume.