Physics and modelling of molten-salt reactors

This page presents selected public research at Saltfoss Energy (formerly Seaborg Technologies).

Focus

My research focuses on building foundational understanding of molten-salt reactor physics, particularly system dynamics and heat transfer. These systems exhibit behaviours that differ from those of conventional reactors and receive limited treatment in standard textbooks. Through analytical work and computational modelling, I investigate these behaviours to deepen my physical understanding of these systems and contribute to the wider research literature.

A recurring theme is the importance of treating molten-salt reactors as coupled multiphysics systems. For system-dynamics modelling, this typically means considering neutronics and thermal hydraulics together and extending the model beyond the active core to encompass the full primary loop.

Research contributions

• Circulating-fuel reactor dynamics, including recirculation effects, frequency response, and linear stability.
• System modelling of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment using Modelica/TRANSFORM.
• Coupled multiphysics benchmark work and analysis of flow distribution and heat transfer.

I also supervised the master’s project in which the GFMR reference specification was developed. The openly published specification provides a generic molten-salt reactor reference problem intended for modelling, benchmarking, and education.

Alongside this work, I collaborate with research and engineering partners and communicate selected findings through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and industry forums. The publications list provides the public research record.