To improve the reliability and reduce energy consumption,a conceptual design of a freeze valve is proposed for the thorium-based molten salt reactor(TMSR)concept.Fins were utilized in this new design to enhance heat t...To improve the reliability and reduce energy consumption,a conceptual design of a freeze valve is proposed for the thorium-based molten salt reactor(TMSR)concept.Fins were utilized in this new design to enhance heat transfer and realize passive shut-off function,which could not be realized by the previous design.An experimental apparatus using the fluoride salt FLiNaK was constructed to conduct a series of preliminary solidification and melting experiments.In addition,the enthalpy-porosity method of ANSYS■Fluent solver was applied to simulate the solidification process of the salt at a specified operating temperature.Temperature distributions of the fluoride salt,solidification/melting time,and frozen plug effect were analyzed under natural convection heat transfer in an open space.The calculated salt temperatures exhibited good agreement with the experimental values.The results indicated that the range of effective operating temperature is 530-600℃ for the finned freeze valve.In this study,the ideal set operating temperature of the finned freeze valve was chosen as 560℃ to achieve competent performance.Moreover,560℃ is additionally the highest set operating temperature for maintaining excellent cooling performance and sustaining deep-frozen condition of the salt plug.At this set operating temperature,the simulation data indicated that the molten salt in the flat part of the finned freeze valve will completely solidify at 10.5 min.The percentage of solid salt in the flat and lower transitional parts of the valve reaches 29.60% in 30.0 min.Furthermore,the surface temperature of the proposed freeze valve is 11.10% lower compared with that of the TMSR freeze valve at a cooling gas supply of 173 m^3/h.Therefore,the new freeze valve was proven to be capable of reducing the energy consumption and realizing the passive shut-off function.展开更多
Probabilistic safety assessment(PSA) is important in nuclear safety review and analysis. Because the design and physics of the fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor(FHR) differ greatly from the pressurized wat...Probabilistic safety assessment(PSA) is important in nuclear safety review and analysis. Because the design and physics of the fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor(FHR) differ greatly from the pressurized water reactor(PWR), the methods and steps of PSA in FHR should be studied. The high-temperature gascooled reactor(HTR-PM) and sodium-cooled fast reactors have built the PSA framework, and the framework to finish the PSA analysis. The FHR is compared with the PWR, HTR-PM and sodium-cooled fast reactors from the physics, design and safety. The PSA framework of FHR is discussed. In the FHR, the fuel and coolant combination provides large thermal margins to fuel damage(hundreds of degrees centigrade). The tristructuralisotropic(TRISO) as the fuel is independent in FHR core and its failure is limited for the core. The core damage in Level 1 PSA is of lower frequency. Levels 1 and 2 PSA are combined in the FHR PSA analysis. The initiating events analysis is the beginning, and the source term analysis and the release types are the target. Finally, Level3 PSA is done.展开更多
The recent development of molten salt fast reactors has generated a renewed interest in them. As compared to traditional solid fuel fast neutron systems, it has many unique advantages, e.g., lower fissile inventory,no...The recent development of molten salt fast reactors has generated a renewed interest in them. As compared to traditional solid fuel fast neutron systems, it has many unique advantages, e.g., lower fissile inventory,no initial criticality reserve, waste reduction, and a simplified fuel cycle. It has been recognized as an ideal reactor for achieving a closed Th–U cycle. Based on the carrier salt, molten salt fast reactors could be divided into either a molten chloride salt fast reactor(MCFR) or a molten fluoride salt fast reactor(MFFR);to compare their Th–U cycle performance, the neutronic parameters in a breeding and burning(B&B) transition scenario were studied based on similar core geometry and power. The results demonstrated that the required reprocessing rate for an MCFR to achieve self-breeding was lower than that of an MFFR.Moreover, the breeding capability of an MCFR was better than that of an MFFR;at a reprocessing rate of 40 L/day,using LEU and Pu as start-up fissile materials, the doubling time(DT) of an MFFR and MCFR were 88.0 years and 48.0 years, and 16.5 years and 16.2 years, respectively.Besides, an MCFR has lower radio-toxicity due to lower buildup of fission products(FPs) and transuranium(TRU),while an MFFR has a larger, delayed neutron fraction with smaller changes during the entire operation.展开更多
The quality upgrading and deashing of inferior coal by chemical method still faces great challenges.The dangers of strong acid,strong alkali,waste water and exhaust gas as well as high cost limit its industrial produc...The quality upgrading and deashing of inferior coal by chemical method still faces great challenges.The dangers of strong acid,strong alkali,waste water and exhaust gas as well as high cost limit its industrial production.This paper systematically investigates the ash reduction and desilicification of two typical inferior coal utilizing ammonium fluoride roasting method.Under the optimal conditions,for fat coal and gas coal,the deashing rates are 69.02%and 54.13%,and the desilicification rates are 92.64%and 90.27%,respectively.The molar dosage of ammonium fluoride remains consistent for both coals;however,the gas coal,characterized by a lower ash and silica content(less than half that of the fat coal),achieves optimum deashing effect at a reduced time and temperature.The majority of silicon in coal transforms into gaseous ammonium fluorosilicate,subsequently preparing nanoscale amorphous silica with a purity of 99.90%through ammonia precipitation.Most of the fluorine in deashed coal are assigned in inorganic minerals,suggesting the possibility of further fluorine and ash removal via flotation.This research provides a green and facile route to deash inferior coal and produce nano-scale white carbon black simultaneously.展开更多
Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization.Hydrogels,as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic ...Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization.Hydrogels,as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale,have been considered the most promising candidate for solar evaporation.However,the simultaneous achievement of high evaporation efficiency and satisfactory tolerance to salt ions in brine remains a challenging scientific bottleneck,restricting the widespread application.Herein,we report ionization engineering,which endows polymer chains of hydrogels with electronegativity for impeding salt ions and activating water molecules,fundamentally overcoming the hydrogel salt-impeded challenge and dramatically expediting water evaporating in brine.The sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate-modified carbon black is chosen as the solar absorbers.The hydrogel reaches a ground-breaking evaporation rate of 2.9 kg m−2 h−1 in 20 wt%brine with 95.6%efficiency under one sun irradiation,surpassing most of the reported literature.More notably,such a hydrogel-based evaporator enables extracting clean water from oversaturated salt solutions and maintains durability under different high-strength deformation or a 15-day continuous operation.Meantime,on the basis of the cation selectivity induced by the electronegativity,we first propose an all-day system that evaporates during the day and generates salinity-gradient electricity using waste-evaporated brine at night,anticipating pioneer a new opportunity for all-day resource-generating systems in fields of freshwater and electricity.展开更多
To investigate the macroscopic fatigue properties and the mesoscopic pore evolution characteristics of salt rock under cyclic loading,fatigue tests under different upper-limit stresses were carried out on salt rock,an...To investigate the macroscopic fatigue properties and the mesoscopic pore evolution characteristics of salt rock under cyclic loading,fatigue tests under different upper-limit stresses were carried out on salt rock,and the mesoscopic pore structures of salt rock before and after fatigue tests and under different cycle numbers were measured using CT scanning instrument.Based on the test results,the effects of the cycle number and the upper-limit stress on the evolution of cracks,pore morphology,pore number,pore volume,pore size,plane porosity,and volume porosity of salt rock were analyzed.The failure path of salt rock specimens under cyclic loading was analyzed using the distribution law of plane porosity.The damage variable of salt rock under cyclic loading was defined on basis of the variation of volume porosity with cycle number.In order to describe the fatigue deformation behavior of salt rock under cyclic loading,the nonlinear Burgers damage constitutive model was further established.The results show that the model established can better reflect the whole development process of fatigue deformation of salt rock under cyclic loading.展开更多
High-entropy catalysts featuring exceptional properties are,in no doubt,playing an increasingly significant role in aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries.Despite extensive effort devoted to tracing the origin of their unpa...High-entropy catalysts featuring exceptional properties are,in no doubt,playing an increasingly significant role in aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries.Despite extensive effort devoted to tracing the origin of their unparalleled performance,the relationships between multiple active sites and reaction intermediates are still obscure.Here,enlightened by theoretical screening,we tailor a high-entropy perovskite fluoride(KCoMnNiMgZnF_(3)-HEC)with various active sites to overcome the limitations of conventional catalysts in redox process.The entropy effect modulates the d-band center and d orbital occupancy of active centers,which optimizes the d–p hybridization between catalytic sites and key intermediates,enabling a moderate adsorption of LiO_(2)and thus reinforcing the reaction kinetics.As a result,the Li–O2 battery with KCoMnNiMgZnF_(3)-HEC catalyst delivers a minimal discharge/charge polarization and long-term cycle stability,preceding majority of traditional catalysts reported.These encouraging results provide inspiring insights into the electron manipulation and d orbital structure optimization for advanced electrocatalyst.展开更多
Great potential of underground gas/energy storage in salt caverns seems to be a promising solution to support renewable energy.In the underground storage method,the operating cycle unfortunately may reach up to daily ...Great potential of underground gas/energy storage in salt caverns seems to be a promising solution to support renewable energy.In the underground storage method,the operating cycle unfortunately may reach up to daily or even hourly,which generates complicated pressures on the salt cavern.Furthermore,the mechanical behavior of rock salt may change and present distinct failure characteristics under different stress states,which affects the performance of salt cavern during the time period of full service.To reproduce a similar loading condition on the cavern surrounding rock mass,the cyclic triaxial loading/unloading tests are performed on the rock salt to explore the mechanical transition behavior and failure characteristics under different confinement.Experimental results show that the rock salt samples pre-sent a diffused shear failure band with significant bulges at certain locations in low confining pressure conditions(e.g.5 MPa,10 MPa and 15 MPa),which is closely related to crystal misorientation and grain boundary sliding.Under the elevated confinement(e.g.20 MPa,30 MPa and 40 MPa),the dilation band dominates the failure mechanism,where the large-size halite crystals are crushed to be smaller size and new pores are developing.The failure transition mechanism revealed in the paper provides additional insight into the mechanical performance of salt caverns influenced by complicated stress states.展开更多
Radioactive fluoride wastes are generated during the operation of molten salt reactors(MSRs) and reprocessing of their spent fuel.Immobilization of these wastes in borosilicate glass is not feasible because of the ver...Radioactive fluoride wastes are generated during the operation of molten salt reactors(MSRs) and reprocessing of their spent fuel.Immobilization of these wastes in borosilicate glass is not feasible because of the very low solubility of fluorides in this host.Alternative candidates are thus an active topic of research including phosphatebased glasses,crystalline ceramics,and hybrid glass-ceramic systems.In this study,mixed fluorides were employed as simulated MSRs waste and incorporated into sodium aluminophosphate glass to obtain phosphate-based waste form.These waste forms were characterized by X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,and scanning electron microscopy.Leaching tests were performed in deionized water using the product consistency test A method.This study demonstrates that up to 20 mol%of simulated radioactive waste can be introduced into the NaA1 P glass matrix,and the chemical durability is much better than that of borosilicate.The addition of Fe_2O_3 in the NaAlP glass matrix results in increases of the chemical durability at the expense of fluoride loading(to 6.4 mol%).Phosphate glass vitrification of radioactive waste containing fluorides is a potential method to treat and dispose of MSR wastes.展开更多
The TiB2 coatings deposited over nickel substrate by electroplating was investigated, which is in molten salt of a fluoride mixture involving KF, NaF, K2 TiF6 and KBF4. Effects of temperature, cathodic current density...The TiB2 coatings deposited over nickel substrate by electroplating was investigated, which is in molten salt of a fluoride mixture involving KF, NaF, K2 TiF6 and KBF4. Effects of temperature, cathodic current density (Jc) and duration on the coating's formation were examined. The composition, morphology and structure of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the coatings, with black, smooth and uniform appearance, are composed of predominating TiB2 and small amounts of nickel titanium oxide (Ni0.75 Ti0.125 O). The coatings show a nodular morphology and the grain size is dependent on the Jc and ranges about 1 - 10 μm. There is a linear relationship between the coating's thickness and the time of electrolysis within certain duration range. The reduction of the potassium can take place simultaneously with the electrochemical synthesis of TiB2 as the Jc is in excess of certain level. The hardness of the TiB2 coatings is likely to be deteriorated due to the presence of potassium and Ni0.75Ti0.125 O in the coatings.展开更多
This paper presents a neutronics design of a 10 MW ordered-pebble-bed fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature experimental reactor. Through delicate layout, a core with ordered arranged pebble bed can be formed,which ca...This paper presents a neutronics design of a 10 MW ordered-pebble-bed fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature experimental reactor. Through delicate layout, a core with ordered arranged pebble bed can be formed,which can keep core stability and meet the space requirements for thermal hydraulics and neutronics measurements.Overall, objectives of the core include inherent safety and sufficient excess reactivity providing 120 effective full power days for experiments. Considering the requirements above, the reactive control system is designed to consist of 16 control rods distributed in the graphite reflector. Combining the large control rods worth about 18000–20000 pcm, molten salt drain supplementary means(-6980 to -3651 pcm) and negative temperature coefficient(-6.32 to -3.80 pcm/K) feedback of the whole core, the reactor can realize sufficient shutdown margin and safety under steady state. Besides, some main physical properties, such as reactivity control, neutron spectrum and flux, power density distribution, and reactivity coefficient,have been calculated and analyzed in this study. In addition, some special problems in molten salt coolant are also considered, including ~6Li depletion and tritium production.展开更多
Fast reactors based on thorium fuel have enhanced inherent safety. Fluoride salt performs well as a coolant in high-temperature nuclear systems. In this paper,we present a reference core for a large fluoride-salt-cool...Fast reactors based on thorium fuel have enhanced inherent safety. Fluoride salt performs well as a coolant in high-temperature nuclear systems. In this paper,we present a reference core for a large fluoride-salt-cooled solid-fuel fast reactor(LSFR) using thorium–uranium fuel cycle. Neutronics physics of the LSFR reference core is investigated with 2D and 3D in-core fuel management strategy. The design parameters analyzed include the fuel volume fraction, power density level and continuous removal of fission products with 3D fuel shuffling that obtains better equilibrium core performance than 2D shuffling. A self-sustained core is achieved for all cases,and the core of 60% fuel volume fraction at 50 MW/m^3 power density is of the best breeding performance(average breeding ratio 1.134). The LSFR core based on thorium fuel is advantageous in its high discharge burn-up of 20–30% fissions per initial heavy metal atom, small reactivity swing over the whole lifetime(to simplify the reactivity control system), the negative reactivity temperature coefficient(intrinsically safe for all cases) and accepted cladding peak radiation damage. The LSFR reactor is a good alternative option for the deployment of a self-sustained thorium-based nuclear system.展开更多
The fluoride volatility method (FVM) is a technique tailored to separate uranium from fuel salt of molten salt reactors. A key challenge in R&D of the FVM is corrosion due to the presence of molten salt and corros...The fluoride volatility method (FVM) is a technique tailored to separate uranium from fuel salt of molten salt reactors. A key challenge in R&D of the FVM is corrosion due to the presence of molten salt and corrosive gases at high temperature. In this work, a frozen-wall technique was proposed to produce a physical barrier between construction materials and corrosive reactants. The protective performance of the frozen wall against molten salt was assessed using FLiNaK molten salt with introduced fluorine gas, which was regarded as a simulation of the FVM process. SS304, SS316L, Inconel 600 and graphite were chosen as the test samples. The extent of corrosion was characterized by an analysis of weight loss and scanning electron microscope studies. All four test samples suffered severe corrosion in the molten salt phase with the corrosion resistance as: Inconel 600>SS316L>graphite>SS304. The presence of the frozen wall could protect materials against corrosion by molten salt and corrosive gases, and compared with materials exposed to molten salt, the corrosion rates of materials protected by the frozen wall were decreased by at least one order of magnitude.展开更多
Objective Arsenic(As) and fluoride(F) are two of the most common elements contaminating groundwater resources. A growing number of studies have found that As and F can cause neurotoxicity in infants and children, lead...Objective Arsenic(As) and fluoride(F) are two of the most common elements contaminating groundwater resources. A growing number of studies have found that As and F can cause neurotoxicity in infants and children, leading to cognitive, learning, and memory impairments. However, early biomarkers of learning and memory impairment induced by As and/or F remain unclear. In the present study, the mechanisms by which As and/or F cause learning memory impairment are explored at the multi-omics level(microbiome and metabolome).Methods We stablished an SD rats model exposed to arsenic and/or fluoride from intrauterine to adult period.Results Arsenic and/fluoride exposed groups showed reduced neurobehavioral performance and lesions in the hippocampal CA1 region. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that As and/or F exposure significantly altered the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome, featuring the Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Ruminococcus_1, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, [Eubacterium]_xylanophilum_group. Metabolome analysis showed that As and/or F-induced learning and memory impairment may be related to tryptophan, lipoic acid, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acidergic(GABAergic) synapse, and arachidonic acid(AA) metabolism. The gut microbiota, metabolites, and learning memory indicators were significantly correlated.Conclusion Learning memory impairment triggered by As and/or F exposure may be mediated by different gut microbes and their associated metabolites.展开更多
Corrosion test of a Ni–16Mo–7Cr alloy with a decarburized layer was conducted in FLiNaK salt at 700 °C. A detailed microstructure study was performed to investigate the corrosion behavior and mechanisms. The re...Corrosion test of a Ni–16Mo–7Cr alloy with a decarburized layer was conducted in FLiNaK salt at 700 °C. A detailed microstructure study was performed to investigate the corrosion behavior and mechanisms. The results show that the Ferich layers were formed on the corroded alloys with and without decarburization. The surface decarburization had little influence on the corrosion resistance of the alloy, whereas it caused more M_2C carbide formation beneath the corrosion layer. That is attributed to the higher concentration of C gradient near the alloy surface, which was resulted from the increase in C content liberated from graphite crucible wall during the corrosion process.展开更多
Here we prepared PEO coatings on Mg alloys in silicate-NaOH-phosphate electrolyte containing different concentrations of NaF addition.The detailed microstructural characterizations combining with potentiodynamic polar...Here we prepared PEO coatings on Mg alloys in silicate-NaOH-phosphate electrolyte containing different concentrations of NaF addition.The detailed microstructural characterizations combining with potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectra(EIS)were employed to investigate the roles of fluoride in the growth and corrosion properties of PEO coating on Mg.The result shows the introduction of NaF led to a fluoride-containing nanolayer(FNL)formed at the Mg/coating interface.The FNL consists of MgO nanoparticles and insoluble MgF_(2)nanoparticles(containing rutile phase and cubic phase).The increase in the NaF concentration of the electrolyte increases the thickness and the MgF_(2)content in the FNL.When anodized in the electrolyte containing 2 g/L NaF,the formed FNL has the highest thickness of 100-200 nm along with the highest value of x of∼0.6 in(MgO)_(1-x)(MgF_(2))x resulted in the highest corrosion performance of PEO coating.In addition,when anodized in the electrolyte containing a low NaF concentration(0.4-0.8 g/L),the formed FNL was thin and discontinuous,which would decrease the pore density and increase the coating's uniformness simultaneously.展开更多
Arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)fungi distribute widely in natural habits and play a variety of ecological functions.In order to test the physiological response to salt stress mediated by different AM fungi,Viola prionantha...Arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)fungi distribute widely in natural habits and play a variety of ecological functions.In order to test the physiological response to salt stress mediated by different AM fungi,Viola prionantha was selected as the host,the dominant AM fungus in the rhizosphere of V.philippica growing in Songnen saline-alkali grassland,Rhizophagus irregularis,and their mixtures were used as inoculants,and NaCl stress was applied after the roots were colonized.The results showed that V.philippica could be colonized by AM fungi in the field and the colonization rate ranged from 73.33%to 96.67%,and Claroideoglomus etunicatum was identified as the dominant AM fungi species in the rhizosphere of V.philippica by morphology combined with sequencing for AM fungal AML1/AML2 target.Inoculation with both the species resulted in the formation of mycorrhizal symbiosis(the colonization rate was more than 70%)and AM fungi significantly enhanced plants’tolerance to salt stress of varying magnitude.Higher activity of antioxidant enzymes and augmented levels of proline and other osmoregulators were observed in AM plants.The content of MDA in CK was higher than that in the inoculations with the stress of 100,200,and 250 mM.All indices except soluble protein content and MDA content were significantly correlated with AM fungal colonization indices.The analysis for different AM fungal effects showed that the mixtures and R.irregularis worked even better than C.etunicatum.These results will provide theoretical support for the exploration and screening of salt-tolerant AM fungi species and also for the application of AM-ornamental plants in saline-alkali urban greening.展开更多
The electrochemical behaviour of samarium was investigated in LiF-BeF2 system on an inert (Mo) electrode by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry at 804, 833, 847 and 872 K. Redox process Sm3++e-→Sm2+ was recogn...The electrochemical behaviour of samarium was investigated in LiF-BeF2 system on an inert (Mo) electrode by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry at 804, 833, 847 and 872 K. Redox process Sm3++e-→Sm2+ was recognized and analysed. Cyclic voltammetry data suggested that at potential sweep rates lower than 0.25 V/s, the reduction was limited by the diffusion of Sm3+ ions. It was not possible to observe reduction process of Sm2++2e-→Sm0 due to insufficient electrochemical stability of LiF-BeF2. Diffusion coefficients of Sm3+ ions in LiF-BeF2 were calculated from voltammetric and chronopotentiometric data in the temperature range 804-872 K. Diffusion coefficient values obeyed Arrhenius law. Activation energy was calculated to be 102.5 kJ/mol.展开更多
Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)has been recognized as the bottleneck of overall water splitting,which is a promising approach for sustainable production of H_(2).Transition metal(TM)hydroxides are the ...Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)has been recognized as the bottleneck of overall water splitting,which is a promising approach for sustainable production of H_(2).Transition metal(TM)hydroxides are the most conventional and classical non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for OER,while TM basic salts[M^(2+)(OH)_(2-x)(A_(m^(-))_(x/m),A=CO_(3)^(2−),NO_(3)^(−),F^(−),Cl^(−)]consisting of OH−and another anion have drawn extensive research interest due to its higher catalytic activity in the past decade.In this review,we summarize the recent advances of TM basic salts and their application in OER and further overall water splitting.We categorize TM basic salt-based OER pre-catalysts into four types(CO_(3)^(2−),NO_(3)^(−),F^(−),Cl^(−)according to the anion,which is a key factor for their outstanding performance towards OER.We highlight experimental and theoretical methods for understanding the structure evolution during OER and the effect of anion on catalytic performance.To develop bifunctional TM basic salts as catalyst for the practical electrolysis application,we also review the present strategies for enhancing its hydrogen evolution reaction activity and thereby improving its overall water splitting performance.Finally,we conclude this review with a summary and perspective about the remaining challenges and future opportunities of TM basic salts as catalysts for water electrolysis.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.91326201)the Strategic Pilot Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA0201002)
文摘To improve the reliability and reduce energy consumption,a conceptual design of a freeze valve is proposed for the thorium-based molten salt reactor(TMSR)concept.Fins were utilized in this new design to enhance heat transfer and realize passive shut-off function,which could not be realized by the previous design.An experimental apparatus using the fluoride salt FLiNaK was constructed to conduct a series of preliminary solidification and melting experiments.In addition,the enthalpy-porosity method of ANSYS■Fluent solver was applied to simulate the solidification process of the salt at a specified operating temperature.Temperature distributions of the fluoride salt,solidification/melting time,and frozen plug effect were analyzed under natural convection heat transfer in an open space.The calculated salt temperatures exhibited good agreement with the experimental values.The results indicated that the range of effective operating temperature is 530-600℃ for the finned freeze valve.In this study,the ideal set operating temperature of the finned freeze valve was chosen as 560℃ to achieve competent performance.Moreover,560℃ is additionally the highest set operating temperature for maintaining excellent cooling performance and sustaining deep-frozen condition of the salt plug.At this set operating temperature,the simulation data indicated that the molten salt in the flat part of the finned freeze valve will completely solidify at 10.5 min.The percentage of solid salt in the flat and lower transitional parts of the valve reaches 29.60% in 30.0 min.Furthermore,the surface temperature of the proposed freeze valve is 11.10% lower compared with that of the TMSR freeze valve at a cooling gas supply of 173 m^3/h.Therefore,the new freeze valve was proven to be capable of reducing the energy consumption and realizing the passive shut-off function.
基金Supported by Chinese Academy of Science Strategy Precursor Science and Technology Project(No.XDA0205050)
文摘Probabilistic safety assessment(PSA) is important in nuclear safety review and analysis. Because the design and physics of the fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor(FHR) differ greatly from the pressurized water reactor(PWR), the methods and steps of PSA in FHR should be studied. The high-temperature gascooled reactor(HTR-PM) and sodium-cooled fast reactors have built the PSA framework, and the framework to finish the PSA analysis. The FHR is compared with the PWR, HTR-PM and sodium-cooled fast reactors from the physics, design and safety. The PSA framework of FHR is discussed. In the FHR, the fuel and coolant combination provides large thermal margins to fuel damage(hundreds of degrees centigrade). The tristructuralisotropic(TRISO) as the fuel is independent in FHR core and its failure is limited for the core. The core damage in Level 1 PSA is of lower frequency. Levels 1 and 2 PSA are combined in the FHR PSA analysis. The initiating events analysis is the beginning, and the source term analysis and the release types are the target. Finally, Level3 PSA is done.
基金the Chinese TMSR Strategic Pioneer Science and Technology Project(No.XDA02010000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.91326201)。
文摘The recent development of molten salt fast reactors has generated a renewed interest in them. As compared to traditional solid fuel fast neutron systems, it has many unique advantages, e.g., lower fissile inventory,no initial criticality reserve, waste reduction, and a simplified fuel cycle. It has been recognized as an ideal reactor for achieving a closed Th–U cycle. Based on the carrier salt, molten salt fast reactors could be divided into either a molten chloride salt fast reactor(MCFR) or a molten fluoride salt fast reactor(MFFR);to compare their Th–U cycle performance, the neutronic parameters in a breeding and burning(B&B) transition scenario were studied based on similar core geometry and power. The results demonstrated that the required reprocessing rate for an MCFR to achieve self-breeding was lower than that of an MFFR.Moreover, the breeding capability of an MCFR was better than that of an MFFR;at a reprocessing rate of 40 L/day,using LEU and Pu as start-up fissile materials, the doubling time(DT) of an MFFR and MCFR were 88.0 years and 48.0 years, and 16.5 years and 16.2 years, respectively.Besides, an MCFR has lower radio-toxicity due to lower buildup of fission products(FPs) and transuranium(TRU),while an MFFR has a larger, delayed neutron fraction with smaller changes during the entire operation.
文摘The quality upgrading and deashing of inferior coal by chemical method still faces great challenges.The dangers of strong acid,strong alkali,waste water and exhaust gas as well as high cost limit its industrial production.This paper systematically investigates the ash reduction and desilicification of two typical inferior coal utilizing ammonium fluoride roasting method.Under the optimal conditions,for fat coal and gas coal,the deashing rates are 69.02%and 54.13%,and the desilicification rates are 92.64%and 90.27%,respectively.The molar dosage of ammonium fluoride remains consistent for both coals;however,the gas coal,characterized by a lower ash and silica content(less than half that of the fat coal),achieves optimum deashing effect at a reduced time and temperature.The majority of silicon in coal transforms into gaseous ammonium fluorosilicate,subsequently preparing nanoscale amorphous silica with a purity of 99.90%through ammonia precipitation.Most of the fluorine in deashed coal are assigned in inorganic minerals,suggesting the possibility of further fluorine and ash removal via flotation.This research provides a green and facile route to deash inferior coal and produce nano-scale white carbon black simultaneously.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52076028).
文摘Interfacial solar evaporation holds immense potential for brine desalination with low carbon footprints and high energy utilization.Hydrogels,as a tunable material platform from the molecular level to the macroscopic scale,have been considered the most promising candidate for solar evaporation.However,the simultaneous achievement of high evaporation efficiency and satisfactory tolerance to salt ions in brine remains a challenging scientific bottleneck,restricting the widespread application.Herein,we report ionization engineering,which endows polymer chains of hydrogels with electronegativity for impeding salt ions and activating water molecules,fundamentally overcoming the hydrogel salt-impeded challenge and dramatically expediting water evaporating in brine.The sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate-modified carbon black is chosen as the solar absorbers.The hydrogel reaches a ground-breaking evaporation rate of 2.9 kg m−2 h−1 in 20 wt%brine with 95.6%efficiency under one sun irradiation,surpassing most of the reported literature.More notably,such a hydrogel-based evaporator enables extracting clean water from oversaturated salt solutions and maintains durability under different high-strength deformation or a 15-day continuous operation.Meantime,on the basis of the cation selectivity induced by the electronegativity,we first propose an all-day system that evaporates during the day and generates salinity-gradient electricity using waste-evaporated brine at night,anticipating pioneer a new opportunity for all-day resource-generating systems in fields of freshwater and electricity.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52178354).
文摘To investigate the macroscopic fatigue properties and the mesoscopic pore evolution characteristics of salt rock under cyclic loading,fatigue tests under different upper-limit stresses were carried out on salt rock,and the mesoscopic pore structures of salt rock before and after fatigue tests and under different cycle numbers were measured using CT scanning instrument.Based on the test results,the effects of the cycle number and the upper-limit stress on the evolution of cracks,pore morphology,pore number,pore volume,pore size,plane porosity,and volume porosity of salt rock were analyzed.The failure path of salt rock specimens under cyclic loading was analyzed using the distribution law of plane porosity.The damage variable of salt rock under cyclic loading was defined on basis of the variation of volume porosity with cycle number.In order to describe the fatigue deformation behavior of salt rock under cyclic loading,the nonlinear Burgers damage constitutive model was further established.The results show that the model established can better reflect the whole development process of fatigue deformation of salt rock under cyclic loading.
基金P.G.acknowledges the financial support from the Youth Foundation of Shandong Natural Science Foundation(No.ZR2023OB230)National Natural Science Foundation(No.22309035)Double First-class Discipline Construction Fund Project of Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai(No.2023SYLHY11).
文摘High-entropy catalysts featuring exceptional properties are,in no doubt,playing an increasingly significant role in aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries.Despite extensive effort devoted to tracing the origin of their unparalleled performance,the relationships between multiple active sites and reaction intermediates are still obscure.Here,enlightened by theoretical screening,we tailor a high-entropy perovskite fluoride(KCoMnNiMgZnF_(3)-HEC)with various active sites to overcome the limitations of conventional catalysts in redox process.The entropy effect modulates the d-band center and d orbital occupancy of active centers,which optimizes the d–p hybridization between catalytic sites and key intermediates,enabling a moderate adsorption of LiO_(2)and thus reinforcing the reaction kinetics.As a result,the Li–O2 battery with KCoMnNiMgZnF_(3)-HEC catalyst delivers a minimal discharge/charge polarization and long-term cycle stability,preceding majority of traditional catalysts reported.These encouraging results provide inspiring insights into the electron manipulation and d orbital structure optimization for advanced electrocatalyst.
基金This research was financially supported by the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province Project,China(Grant Nos.2022YFSY0007,2021YFH0010)the National Scientific Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U20A20266).
文摘Great potential of underground gas/energy storage in salt caverns seems to be a promising solution to support renewable energy.In the underground storage method,the operating cycle unfortunately may reach up to daily or even hourly,which generates complicated pressures on the salt cavern.Furthermore,the mechanical behavior of rock salt may change and present distinct failure characteristics under different stress states,which affects the performance of salt cavern during the time period of full service.To reproduce a similar loading condition on the cavern surrounding rock mass,the cyclic triaxial loading/unloading tests are performed on the rock salt to explore the mechanical transition behavior and failure characteristics under different confinement.Experimental results show that the rock salt samples pre-sent a diffused shear failure band with significant bulges at certain locations in low confining pressure conditions(e.g.5 MPa,10 MPa and 15 MPa),which is closely related to crystal misorientation and grain boundary sliding.Under the elevated confinement(e.g.20 MPa,30 MPa and 40 MPa),the dilation band dominates the failure mechanism,where the large-size halite crystals are crushed to be smaller size and new pores are developing.The failure transition mechanism revealed in the paper provides additional insight into the mechanical performance of salt caverns influenced by complicated stress states.
文摘Radioactive fluoride wastes are generated during the operation of molten salt reactors(MSRs) and reprocessing of their spent fuel.Immobilization of these wastes in borosilicate glass is not feasible because of the very low solubility of fluorides in this host.Alternative candidates are thus an active topic of research including phosphatebased glasses,crystalline ceramics,and hybrid glass-ceramic systems.In this study,mixed fluorides were employed as simulated MSRs waste and incorporated into sodium aluminophosphate glass to obtain phosphate-based waste form.These waste forms were characterized by X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,and scanning electron microscopy.Leaching tests were performed in deionized water using the product consistency test A method.This study demonstrates that up to 20 mol%of simulated radioactive waste can be introduced into the NaA1 P glass matrix,and the chemical durability is much better than that of borosilicate.The addition of Fe_2O_3 in the NaAlP glass matrix results in increases of the chemical durability at the expense of fluoride loading(to 6.4 mol%).Phosphate glass vitrification of radioactive waste containing fluorides is a potential method to treat and dispose of MSR wastes.
文摘The TiB2 coatings deposited over nickel substrate by electroplating was investigated, which is in molten salt of a fluoride mixture involving KF, NaF, K2 TiF6 and KBF4. Effects of temperature, cathodic current density (Jc) and duration on the coating's formation were examined. The composition, morphology and structure of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the coatings, with black, smooth and uniform appearance, are composed of predominating TiB2 and small amounts of nickel titanium oxide (Ni0.75 Ti0.125 O). The coatings show a nodular morphology and the grain size is dependent on the Jc and ranges about 1 - 10 μm. There is a linear relationship between the coating's thickness and the time of electrolysis within certain duration range. The reduction of the potassium can take place simultaneously with the electrochemical synthesis of TiB2 as the Jc is in excess of certain level. The hardness of the TiB2 coatings is likely to be deteriorated due to the presence of potassium and Ni0.75Ti0.125 O in the coatings.
基金supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences TMSR Strategic Pioneer Science and Technology Project(No.XDA02010000)Thorium uranium fuel cycle characteristics and key problem research Project(No.QYZDY-SSW-JSC016)
文摘This paper presents a neutronics design of a 10 MW ordered-pebble-bed fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature experimental reactor. Through delicate layout, a core with ordered arranged pebble bed can be formed,which can keep core stability and meet the space requirements for thermal hydraulics and neutronics measurements.Overall, objectives of the core include inherent safety and sufficient excess reactivity providing 120 effective full power days for experiments. Considering the requirements above, the reactive control system is designed to consist of 16 control rods distributed in the graphite reflector. Combining the large control rods worth about 18000–20000 pcm, molten salt drain supplementary means(-6980 to -3651 pcm) and negative temperature coefficient(-6.32 to -3.80 pcm/K) feedback of the whole core, the reactor can realize sufficient shutdown margin and safety under steady state. Besides, some main physical properties, such as reactivity control, neutron spectrum and flux, power density distribution, and reactivity coefficient,have been calculated and analyzed in this study. In addition, some special problems in molten salt coolant are also considered, including ~6Li depletion and tritium production.
基金supported by the ‘‘Strategic Priority Research Program’’ of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA02010200)the Frontier Science Key Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.QYZDY-SSW-JSC016)
文摘Fast reactors based on thorium fuel have enhanced inherent safety. Fluoride salt performs well as a coolant in high-temperature nuclear systems. In this paper,we present a reference core for a large fluoride-salt-cooled solid-fuel fast reactor(LSFR) using thorium–uranium fuel cycle. Neutronics physics of the LSFR reference core is investigated with 2D and 3D in-core fuel management strategy. The design parameters analyzed include the fuel volume fraction, power density level and continuous removal of fission products with 3D fuel shuffling that obtains better equilibrium core performance than 2D shuffling. A self-sustained core is achieved for all cases,and the core of 60% fuel volume fraction at 50 MW/m^3 power density is of the best breeding performance(average breeding ratio 1.134). The LSFR core based on thorium fuel is advantageous in its high discharge burn-up of 20–30% fissions per initial heavy metal atom, small reactivity swing over the whole lifetime(to simplify the reactivity control system), the negative reactivity temperature coefficient(intrinsically safe for all cases) and accepted cladding peak radiation damage. The LSFR reactor is a good alternative option for the deployment of a self-sustained thorium-based nuclear system.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Science(No.XDA02030000)
文摘The fluoride volatility method (FVM) is a technique tailored to separate uranium from fuel salt of molten salt reactors. A key challenge in R&D of the FVM is corrosion due to the presence of molten salt and corrosive gases at high temperature. In this work, a frozen-wall technique was proposed to produce a physical barrier between construction materials and corrosive reactants. The protective performance of the frozen wall against molten salt was assessed using FLiNaK molten salt with introduced fluorine gas, which was regarded as a simulation of the FVM process. SS304, SS316L, Inconel 600 and graphite were chosen as the test samples. The extent of corrosion was characterized by an analysis of weight loss and scanning electron microscope studies. All four test samples suffered severe corrosion in the molten salt phase with the corrosion resistance as: Inconel 600>SS316L>graphite>SS304. The presence of the frozen wall could protect materials against corrosion by molten salt and corrosive gases, and compared with materials exposed to molten salt, the corrosion rates of materials protected by the frozen wall were decreased by at least one order of magnitude.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 81773405 to Y.Q. and No. 82173644to X.Y.]Shanxi Natural Science Foundation of China [No.202203021211246 and No. 202103021224242]。
文摘Objective Arsenic(As) and fluoride(F) are two of the most common elements contaminating groundwater resources. A growing number of studies have found that As and F can cause neurotoxicity in infants and children, leading to cognitive, learning, and memory impairments. However, early biomarkers of learning and memory impairment induced by As and/or F remain unclear. In the present study, the mechanisms by which As and/or F cause learning memory impairment are explored at the multi-omics level(microbiome and metabolome).Methods We stablished an SD rats model exposed to arsenic and/or fluoride from intrauterine to adult period.Results Arsenic and/fluoride exposed groups showed reduced neurobehavioral performance and lesions in the hippocampal CA1 region. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that As and/or F exposure significantly altered the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome, featuring the Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Ruminococcus_1, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, [Eubacterium]_xylanophilum_group. Metabolome analysis showed that As and/or F-induced learning and memory impairment may be related to tryptophan, lipoic acid, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acidergic(GABAergic) synapse, and arachidonic acid(AA) metabolism. The gut microbiota, metabolites, and learning memory indicators were significantly correlated.Conclusion Learning memory impairment triggered by As and/or F exposure may be mediated by different gut microbes and their associated metabolites.
基金supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51601214, 51674237 and 11705264)the National Key Research and Development Program (No. 2017YFA0402803)
文摘Corrosion test of a Ni–16Mo–7Cr alloy with a decarburized layer was conducted in FLiNaK salt at 700 °C. A detailed microstructure study was performed to investigate the corrosion behavior and mechanisms. The results show that the Ferich layers were formed on the corroded alloys with and without decarburization. The surface decarburization had little influence on the corrosion resistance of the alloy, whereas it caused more M_2C carbide formation beneath the corrosion layer. That is attributed to the higher concentration of C gradient near the alloy surface, which was resulted from the increase in C content liberated from graphite crucible wall during the corrosion process.
基金Zhu.L.and Li.H.contributed equally to this work.This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51901121)the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province(Grant No.2021JM-203,2019JQ-433,2020zdzx04-03-02)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.GK202103022).
文摘Here we prepared PEO coatings on Mg alloys in silicate-NaOH-phosphate electrolyte containing different concentrations of NaF addition.The detailed microstructural characterizations combining with potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectra(EIS)were employed to investigate the roles of fluoride in the growth and corrosion properties of PEO coating on Mg.The result shows the introduction of NaF led to a fluoride-containing nanolayer(FNL)formed at the Mg/coating interface.The FNL consists of MgO nanoparticles and insoluble MgF_(2)nanoparticles(containing rutile phase and cubic phase).The increase in the NaF concentration of the electrolyte increases the thickness and the MgF_(2)content in the FNL.When anodized in the electrolyte containing 2 g/L NaF,the formed FNL has the highest thickness of 100-200 nm along with the highest value of x of∼0.6 in(MgO)_(1-x)(MgF_(2))x resulted in the highest corrosion performance of PEO coating.In addition,when anodized in the electrolyte containing a low NaF concentration(0.4-0.8 g/L),the formed FNL was thin and discontinuous,which would decrease the pore density and increase the coating's uniformness simultaneously.
基金Research was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China with the Grant No.31601986 and Heilongjiang Postdoctoral Scientific Research Developmental Fund(LBH-Q16005).
文摘Arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)fungi distribute widely in natural habits and play a variety of ecological functions.In order to test the physiological response to salt stress mediated by different AM fungi,Viola prionantha was selected as the host,the dominant AM fungus in the rhizosphere of V.philippica growing in Songnen saline-alkali grassland,Rhizophagus irregularis,and their mixtures were used as inoculants,and NaCl stress was applied after the roots were colonized.The results showed that V.philippica could be colonized by AM fungi in the field and the colonization rate ranged from 73.33%to 96.67%,and Claroideoglomus etunicatum was identified as the dominant AM fungi species in the rhizosphere of V.philippica by morphology combined with sequencing for AM fungal AML1/AML2 target.Inoculation with both the species resulted in the formation of mycorrhizal symbiosis(the colonization rate was more than 70%)and AM fungi significantly enhanced plants’tolerance to salt stress of varying magnitude.Higher activity of antioxidant enzymes and augmented levels of proline and other osmoregulators were observed in AM plants.The content of MDA in CK was higher than that in the inoculations with the stress of 100,200,and 250 mM.All indices except soluble protein content and MDA content were significantly correlated with AM fungal colonization indices.The analysis for different AM fungal effects showed that the mixtures and R.irregularis worked even better than C.etunicatum.These results will provide theoretical support for the exploration and screening of salt-tolerant AM fungi species and also for the application of AM-ornamental plants in saline-alkali urban greening.
基金Project supported by Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
文摘The electrochemical behaviour of samarium was investigated in LiF-BeF2 system on an inert (Mo) electrode by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry at 804, 833, 847 and 872 K. Redox process Sm3++e-→Sm2+ was recognized and analysed. Cyclic voltammetry data suggested that at potential sweep rates lower than 0.25 V/s, the reduction was limited by the diffusion of Sm3+ ions. It was not possible to observe reduction process of Sm2++2e-→Sm0 due to insufficient electrochemical stability of LiF-BeF2. Diffusion coefficients of Sm3+ ions in LiF-BeF2 were calculated from voltammetric and chronopotentiometric data in the temperature range 804-872 K. Diffusion coefficient values obeyed Arrhenius law. Activation energy was calculated to be 102.5 kJ/mol.
基金supported by the financial support from Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.21871065,22209129 and 22071038)High-Level Innovation and Entrepreneurship(QCYRCXM-2022-123)+1 种基金support from the“Young Talent Support Plan”of Xi’an Jiaotong University(HG6J024)“Young Talent Lift Plan”of Xi’an city(095920221352).
文摘Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)has been recognized as the bottleneck of overall water splitting,which is a promising approach for sustainable production of H_(2).Transition metal(TM)hydroxides are the most conventional and classical non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for OER,while TM basic salts[M^(2+)(OH)_(2-x)(A_(m^(-))_(x/m),A=CO_(3)^(2−),NO_(3)^(−),F^(−),Cl^(−)]consisting of OH−and another anion have drawn extensive research interest due to its higher catalytic activity in the past decade.In this review,we summarize the recent advances of TM basic salts and their application in OER and further overall water splitting.We categorize TM basic salt-based OER pre-catalysts into four types(CO_(3)^(2−),NO_(3)^(−),F^(−),Cl^(−)according to the anion,which is a key factor for their outstanding performance towards OER.We highlight experimental and theoretical methods for understanding the structure evolution during OER and the effect of anion on catalytic performance.To develop bifunctional TM basic salts as catalyst for the practical electrolysis application,we also review the present strategies for enhancing its hydrogen evolution reaction activity and thereby improving its overall water splitting performance.Finally,we conclude this review with a summary and perspective about the remaining challenges and future opportunities of TM basic salts as catalysts for water electrolysis.
