Gas-cooled fast reactor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gas cooled fast reactor scheme.

The Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) system is a nuclear reactor design which is currently in development. Classed as a Generation IV reactor, it features a fast-neutron spectrum and closed fuel cycle for efficient conversion of fertile uranium and management of actinides. The reference reactor design is a helium-cooled system operating with an outlet temperature of 850°C using a direct Brayton cycle gas turbine for high thermal efficiency. Several fuel forms are being considered for their potential to operate at very high temperatures and to ensure an excellent retention of fission products: composite ceramic fuel, advanced fuel particles, or ceramic clad elements of actinide compounds. Core configurations are being considered based on pin- or plate-based fuel assemblies or prismatic blocks.

1 Nuclear reactor design
2 Research History
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Nuclear reactor design

The GFR base design is a fast reactor but in other ways similar to a high temperature gas cooled reactor. It differs from the HTGR design in that the core has a higher fissile fuel content as well as a non-fissile, fertile, breeding component, and of course there is no neutron moderator. Due to the higher fissile fuel content, the design has a higher power density than the HTGR.

[edit] Research History

Past pilot and demonstration projects have all used thermal designs with graphite moderators. As such, no true gas-cooled fast reactor design has ever been brought to criticality. The main challenges that have yet to be overcome are in-vessel structural materials, both in-core and out-of-core, that will have to withstand fast-neutron damage and high temperatures, (up to 1600°C). Another problem is the low thermal inertia and poor heat removal capability at low helium pressures, although these issues are shared with thermal reactors which have been constructed.

Gas cooled projects include decommissioned reactors such as the Dragon Project, built and operated in the United Kingdom, the AVR and the THTR-300, built and operated in Germany, and Peach Bottom and Fort St. Vrain, built and operated in the United States. Ongoing demonstrations include the HTTR in Japan, which reached full power (30 MWth) using fuel compacts in 1999, and the HTR-10 in China, which may reach 10 MWth in 2002 using pebble fuel. A 300 MWth pebble bed modular demonstration plant is being designed by PBMR Pty for deployment in South Africa, and a consortium of Russian institutes is designing a 300 MWth GT-MHR in cooperation with General Atomics.

[edit] See also

v • d • e Nuclear technology
Nuclear engineering	Nuclear physics • Nuclear fission • Nuclear fusion • Radiation • Ionizing radiation • Atomic nucleus • Nuclear reactor • Nuclear safety • Nuclear chemistry
Nuclear material	Nuclear fuel • Fertile material • Thorium • Uranium • Enriched uranium • Depleted uranium • Plutonium
Nuclear power	Nuclear power plant • Radioactive waste • Fusion power • Future energy development • Inertial fusion power plant • Pressurized water reactor • Boiling water reactor • Generation IV reactor • Fast breeder reactor • Fast neutron reactor • Magnox reactor • Advanced gas-cooled reactor • Gas-cooled fast reactor • Molten salt reactor • Liquid-metal-cooled reactor • Lead-cooled fast reactor • Sodium-cooled fast reactor • Supercritical water reactor • Very high temperature reactor • Pebble bed reactor • Integral Fast Reactor • Nuclear propulsion • Nuclear thermal rocket • Radioisotope thermoelectric generator
Nuclear medicine	PET • Radiation therapy • Tomotherapy • Proton therapy • Brachytherapy
Nuclear weapons	History of nuclear weapons • Nuclear warfare • Nuclear arms race • Nuclear weapon design • Effects of nuclear explosions • Nuclear testing • Nuclear delivery • Nuclear proliferation • List of states with nuclear weapons • List of nuclear tests