GAS COOLED REACTORS (Session 6) Chairpersons

The High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) is particularly attractive due to its capability of producing high temperature helium gas and inherent safety characteristics. These interesting aspects make HTGR worthy of discussion on the future advanced reactors. The Japanese interest in the HTGR has resulted in the construction of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (the HTTR) at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). The HTTR was successfully constructed and now under power-up test at JAERI. The purpose of the HTTR Project is to establish and upgrade HTGR technology and make an irradiation test for innovative basic research in the field of high temperature engineering. It is widely recognized in the nuclear community that the timely and successful operation of the HTTR and tests using the HTTR are major milestones in HTGR development, and in the development of high temperature nuclear process heat application. In addition to accumulation of the HTTR operation and performance data, extensive tests are planned in the HTTR, e.g., the tests for the development of advanced fuel and graphite materials as well as safety demonstration test to verify the inherent safety of HTGR. Furthermore, a process heat application system will be coupled to the HTTR in the future, where hydrogen will be produced directly from nuclear. The out-of-reactor loop facility is under construction to confirm the design of the heat application system and its performance prior to the HTTR coupling. In parallel to the HTTR Project, some Japanese industries are exploring the feasibility of HTGR commercialization. A further industrial effort is expected to follow for commercialization HTGR. This paper gives an overview of the HTTR Project and the future plans using the HTTR. In addition, an industrial view and activities for HTGR commercialization are briefly introduced.