HTGR Knowledge Base

Conference Article: The materials programme for the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in the Federal Republic of Germany: Status of the development of high-temperature materials, integrity concept, and design codes

Nickel, H. (Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH, Juelich (Germany); RWTH Aachen (Germany)); Bodmann, E. (Hochtemperatur-Reaktorbau GmbH, Mannheim (Germany)); Seehafer, H.J. (Interatom GmbH, Bergisch-Gladbach (Germany))

Abstract

THE MATERIALS PROGRAMME FOR THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE GAS-COOLED REACTOR IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY: Integrity Concept, status of the development of high-temperature materials and design codes. During the last 15 years, the research and development of materials for high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) applications in the Federal Republic of Germany have been concentrated on the qualification of high-temperature structural alloys. Such materials are required for heat exchanger components of advanced HTGRs supplying nuclear process heat in the temperature range between 750" and 950°C. The suitability of the candidate alloys for service in the HTGR has been established, and continuing research is aimed at verification of the integrity of components over the envisaged service lifetimes. The special features of the HTGR which provide a high degree of safety are the use of ceramics for the core construction and the low power density of the core. The reactor integrity concept which has been developed is based on these two characteristics. Previously, technical guidelines and design codes for nuclear plants were tailored exclusively to light water reactor systems. An extensive re-search project was therefore initiated which led to the formulation of the basic principles on which a high temperature design code can be based.

view the full text of this article (23 pages, format: PDF, size= 1233kB)

key words: alloys; computer codes; design; federal republic of germany; heat resistant materials; htgr type reactors; power density; process heat reactors; process heat; reactor cores; reactor safety; temperature range 0400-1000 k
Reference:
Technical committee meeting on gas-cooled reactor technology safety and siting Dimitrovgrad (Russian Federation) 21-23 Jun 1989
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TC--389.26, pp:539-561