I know that molten salt reactors have a "salt plug" at the bottom of the tank that will melt if the temperature is too high, dumping the liquid fuel into a boron bath.
I think this kind of reactor is safe in a way that no modern reactor is - operators can remove all power and walk away in this shutdown state. This isn't possible with modern reactors, where 6% of the heat that they produce comes from daughter nuclei, and this decay heat requires cooling power for months after a controlled shutdown.
I do agree, we have to build these safely, with every conceivable scenario, such that walking away is possible.
Converting to thorium fuel would also be far better, as there is only one stable isotope in nature, so no refing is necessary (beyond high-purity smelting), and no centrifuges.
I think this kind of reactor is safe in a way that no modern reactor is - operators can remove all power and walk away in this shutdown state. This isn't possible with modern reactors, where 6% of the heat that they produce comes from daughter nuclei, and this decay heat requires cooling power for months after a controlled shutdown.
I do agree, we have to build these safely, with every conceivable scenario, such that walking away is possible.
Converting to thorium fuel would also be far better, as there is only one stable isotope in nature, so no refing is necessary (beyond high-purity smelting), and no centrifuges.