Luke Langford Rose Hills
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of a Molten Salt Double Layer
Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are an attractive source of nuclear power generation due to improved efficiency and negligible risk of meltdown. However, corrosion of reactor components by molten salt present a serious challenge to the reliability of MSRs. In order to make realistic estimates of reactor lifetimes, a kinetic model of molten salt corrosion must be developed. Central to understanding the kinetics of molten salt corrosion is the double layer parallel layers of charge surrounding an object immersed in fluid at the interface of a metal and a molten salt. This summer I will be using molecular dynamics to simulate the interface of a molten salt and a metal. I will then use the data recorded in this simulation to analyze the ordering of charge densities, in-plane chemical structure, and transport properties within the double layer. This work has the potential to reveal fundamental insights to the mechanisms of molten salt corrosion, which could be consequential knowledge in humanity’s search for emission-free energy.