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. Generation IV reactors (Gen IV are a set of theoretical nuclear reactor designs currently being researched A fast neutron reactor or simply a fast reactor is a category of Nuclear reactor in which the fission Chain reaction is sustained by Fast neutrons The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of Nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages Fertile material is a term used to describe Nuclides which generally themselves do not undergo induced fission (fissionable by thermal Neutrons) but from History of the actinoid series From the earlier known chemical properties of actinium (89 up to uranium (92 indicating a relation to the Transition metals it was generally 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. Helium ( He) is a colorless odorless tasteless non-toxic Inert Monatomic Chemical The ' Brayton cycle' is a constant-pressure cycle that describes the workings of the Gas turbine engine basis of the Jet engine and others A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a rotary Engine that extracts energy from a flow of Combustion gas 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. Nuclear fission is the splitting of the nucleus of an atom into parts (lighter nuclei) often producing Free neutrons and other smaller nuclei which may The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικός ( keramikos) Core configurations are being considered based on pin- or plate-based fuel assemblies or prismatic blocks.
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Nuclear reactor design
The GFR base design is a fast reactor but in other ways similar to a high temperature gas cooled reactor. A fast neutron reactor or simply a fast reactor is a category of Nuclear reactor in which the fission Chain reaction is sustained by Fast neutrons The Very High Temperature Reactor is a Generation IV reactor concept that uses a Graphite - moderated Nuclear reactor with a once-through 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. In Nuclear engineering, a neutron moderator is a medium which reduces the velocity of Fast neutrons thereby turning them into Thermal neutrons capable Due to the higher fissile fuel content, the design has a higher power density than the HTGR.
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. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The THTR-300 was a Thorium high-temperature Nuclear reactor rated at 300 MW electric (THTR-300 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, a Nuclear power plant, is located 50 miles southeast of Harrisburg in Peach Bottom Township, York County Pennsylvania Fort Saint Vrain Generating Station is a Natural gas powered Electricity generating facility located near the town of Platteville in northern Colorado The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ongoing demonstrations include the HTTR in Japan, which reached full power (30 MWth) using fuel compacts inserted in prismatic blocks in 1999, and the HTR-10 in China, which may reach 10 MWth in 2002 using pebble fuel. The high temperature test reactor ( HTTR) is a graphite- moderated gas-cooled Research reactor in Oarai Ibaraki, Japan operated by For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) HTR-10 is a 10 MWt prototype Pebble bed reactor at Tsinghua University in China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A 400 MWth pebble bed modular reactor demonstration plant is being designed by PBMR Pty for deployment in South Africa, and a consortium of Russian institutes is designing a 600 MWth GT-MHR (prismatic block reactor) in cooperation with General Atomics. The pebble bed modular reactor or PBMR is a particular design of Pebble bed reactor under development by South African company PBMR (Pty Ltd since The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending General Atomics is a nuclear physics and Defense contractor headquartered in San Diego California.
See also
References
- THE GAS-COOLED FAST REACTOR SYSTEM
- Flexibility of the Gas Cooled Fast Reactor to Meet the Requirements of the 21st Century
- INL GFR summary
- Generation IV International Forum GFR website
External links
The Very High Temperature Reactor is a Generation IV reactor concept that uses a Graphite - moderated Nuclear reactor with a once-through The pebble bed modular reactor or PBMR is a particular design of Pebble bed reactor under development by South African company PBMR (Pty Ltd since The fast breeder or fast breeder reactor ( FBR) is a Fast neutron reactor designed to breed fuel by producing more Fissile material A fast neutron reactor or simply a fast reactor is a category of Nuclear reactor in which the fission Chain reaction is sustained by Fast neutrons Generation IV reactors (Gen IV are a set of theoretical nuclear reactor designs currently being researchedDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic