FIGS. 7-11, among others, illustrate a separator between the reflector material and the reactor core. This separator, referred to as the “core barrel”, is illustrated in FIGS. 7-9 and 11 as a white ring (750, 850, 950, 1150, respectively) and in FIG. 10 as a thick, black solid line 1050. In an embodiment, the core barrel forms a continuous inner surface between the reactor core (e.g., reactor core 702 of FIG. 7) and the reflector channels (e.g., reflector channels 704). For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 in which the reflector channels 704 are completely filled with reflector material, the core barrel may serve simply to prevent mixing of fuel salt in the core 702 with reflector material in the reflector channels 704. The core barrel may be a structural or non-structural element depending on the design. For example, a non-structural core barrel could be provided between the reactor core 702 and the cells, sleeves, conduits, etc. described above that define each reactor channel 704 and hold the reactor material. Alternatively, the cells, sleeves, conduits, etc. that define each reactor channel 704 could be integrated or physically connected (e.g., welded) so that they are connected to form the core barrel.
