Support for demonstration of modular high temperature gas cooled reactors
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| The early HTGR designs were the AVR, a 10 MW test reactor in Juelich, Germany (left picture) and the THTR 300MW plant also in Germany (right picture) | ||
International interest in HTGR technology has been increasing in recent years due to a growing recognition of the potential of HTGR designs to provide high efficiency, cost effective electricity generation appropriate for the conditions in developing countries, and in the longer term to provide a source of high and low-temperature process heat, for nuclear hydrogen and nuclear desalination applications. The inherent safety characteristics of these reactors, buttressed by the robust fuel design are seen as some of the reasons for this renewed interest.
Several international research and development as well as power projects are under way in China, France, Japan, Korea (Rep. of), Russia, South Africa and the US, in addition to the European Union and others.
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| GT-MHR Concept (USA) | ANTARES Concept (France) |
The international exchange of information and co-ordination of HTGR research through the IAEA has helped to establish the foundation for the future development and deployment of HTGR technology. IAEA gas cooled reactor activities are conducted with the active participation and advice of the Technical Working Group on Gas Cooled Reactors.
Technical Working Group On Gas Cooled Reactors
The Technical Working Group on Gas Cooled Reactors (TWG-GCR) is a continuing working group whose purpose is to advise the IAEA on promoting the exchange of technical information in the field of gas cooled reactors. Created in 1978, the group promotes international cooperation related the development of gas-cooled reactors for electricity and process heat applications. The latter involve high-temperature applications such as hydrogen production and low-temperature applications such as seawater desalination and district heating. The TWG-GCR currently includes participants from the following countries:
| China | France | Germany |
| Indonesia | Japan | Netherlands |
| Russian Federation | South Africa | Turkey |
| United Kingdom | United States of America | Korea (Rep. of) |
The role of the IAEA in this regard is to coordinate efforts of Member States to facilitate the development of gas-cooled reactors of various types by taking a systematic approach to the identification and development of key enabling technologies to achieve the highest safety levels, competitive economics and reliability and by addressing common technological issues that could facilitate their deployment.
Project Publications Since 2000
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Status and Prospects for Gas Cooled Reactor Fuels Proceedings of two IAEA meetings held in June 2004 and June 2005, IAEA-TECDOC-1614, Vienna (August 2009)
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Accident Analysis for Nuclear Power Plants with Modular High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors, Safety Report Series No. 54, Vienna (2008)
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Evaluation of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Performance: Benchmark Analysis Related to Initial Testing of the HTTR and HTR-10, IAEA-TECDOC-1382, Vienna (January 2004)
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Considerations in the Development of Safety Requirements for Innovative Reactors: Application to Modular High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors, IAEA-TECDOC-1366, Vienna (July 2003)
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Critical Experiments and Reactor Physics Calculations for Low Enriched High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors, IAEA-TECDOC-1249, Vienna (November 2001)
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Gas Turbine Power Conversion Systems for Modular HTGRs, IAEA-TECDOC-1238, Vienna (September 2001)
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Current Status and Future Development of Modular High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Technology, IAEA-TECDOC-1198, Vienna (April 2001)
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Safety Related Design and Economic Aspects of HTGRs, IAEA-TECDOC-1210, Vienna (May 2001)
- INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, Heat Transport and Afterheat Removal for Gas Cooled Reactors under Accident Conditions, IAEA-TECDOC-1163, Vienna (February 2001)
Project Publications under Preparation
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IAEA-TECDOC "Evaluation of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Performance"
Status: in preparation; Targeted publication date: 2010 -
IAEA-TECDOC "Advances in HTGR Fuel Development and Performance"
Status: in preparation; Targeted publication date: 2010
Coordinated Research Projects
Coordinated Research Project CRP I31013 "Conservation and Application of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) Technology - Advances in HTGR Fuel Technology Development"
Coordinated Research Project CRP I31019 "Improved Understanding of the Irradiation Creep Behaviour of Nuclear Graphite"
Coordinated Research Project "HTGR Physics, Thermal-Hydraulics and Depletion Uncertainty Analysis" - Planned to Kickoff late 2010
Links to important HTGR documents/publications
Proceedings of the HTR-2006 International Conference on High-Temperature Reactors