HTGR Knowledge Base
Topical Article 7: Research Reactors
Two designs for Modular HTGR power plants are currently under active development. One of the designs employs pebble fuel (6 cm diameter spheres), and the other prismatic fuel (hexagonal blocks ~35 cm wide by 75 cm high).
HTTR (Japan)
The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is a 30 MWt prismatic core HTGR designed, constructed and operated by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). The reactor achieved initial criticality in 1998 and is currently in the rise to power testing, with full power operation expected in 2000. The facility is planned to operate with core outlet temperatures as high as 950ºC to support the development of high temperature process heat and closed cycle gas turbine technology.
HTR-10 (China)
The HTR-10 is a 10 MWt pebble bed core HTGR designed, constructed and operated by the Institute for Nuclear Energy Technology (INET) at Tsinghua University in China. The reactor is nearing the completion of construction with initial criticality anticipated in 2000. The facility is planned to operate with core outlet temperatures as high as 950ºC to support the development of high temperature process heat and electricity generation technology.