HTGR Knowledge Base

Conference Article: Present status of the HTTR project at JAERI

Saito, S. (Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Dept. of HTTR Project)

Abstract

The HTTR is a high temperature gas cooled test reactor with thermal output of 30 MW, outlet coolant temperatures of 850 deg. C at the rated operation and 950 deg. C at the high temperature test operation. The HTTR consists of a reactor pressure vessel with a prismatic core in it, a main cooling system with an intermediate helium-helium heat exchanger and a pressurized water cooler in parallel, an auxiliary cooling system, reactor vessel cooling systems and related components. The HTTR is utilized for establishing and upgrading the technology bases for HTGRs including irradiation tests for fuels and materials, safety demonstration tests and nuclear heat application together with for carrying out various kinds of innovative basic researches on high temperature technologies. Since 1969, the JAERI has carried out research and development works on block type fuels, high temperature materials, high temperature in-core instrumentations, high temperature components, reactor physics, heat transfer and fluid dynamics, plate-out of fission products etc., in order to construct the HTTR which can supply high temperature coolant of 950 deg. C to the outside of the pressure vessel for the first time in the world. In November 1990, the installation permit was issued by the Government through about 20 months' safety review by the Science and Technology Agency and the Nuclear Safety Commission. The construction of the HTTR facility was initiated on the site in the Oarai Research Establishment, JAERI in March 1991. The excavation of ground was completed at the HTTR site in August 1991 and installation of the reactor containment vessel will be completed by the end of October, 1992. The first criticality will be attained in 1998.

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key words: Gas Cooled Reactor, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Technical committee meeting on high temperature applications of nuclear energy. Oarai (Japan). 19-20 Oct 1992
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
IAEA-TECDOC--761, pp:11-19