Rise-to-power test in high temperature engineering test reactor in the high temperature test operation mode; Test progress and summary of test results up to 30MW of reactor thermal power

Takamatsu, Kuniyoshi  ; Nakagawa, Shigeaki  ; Sakaba, Nariaki ; Takada, Eiji*; Tochio, Daisuke ; Shimakawa, Satoshi; Nojiri, Naoki ; Goto, Minoru  ; Shibata, Taiju ; Ueta, Shohei   ; Ashikagaya, Yoshinobu

The High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is a graphite moderated and gas cooled reactor with the thermal power of 30MW and the reactor outlet coolant temperature of 850C/950C. Rise-to-power test in the HTTR was performed from March 31th to May 1st in 2004 as phase 5 test up to 30MW in the high temperature test operation mode. It was confirmed that the thermal reactor power and the reactor outlet coolant temperature reached to 30MW and 950C respectively on April 19th in the single operation mode using only the primary pressurized water cooler. The parallel loaded operation mode using the intermediate heat exchanger and the primary pressurized water cooler was performed from June 2nd and JAERI (Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute) obtained the certificate of the pre-operation test on June 24th from MEXT (Ministry of Education Culture Sports Science and Technology) after all the pre-operation tests were passed successfully in the high temperature test operation mode. Achievement of the reactor-outlet coolant temperature of 950C is the first time in the world. It is possible to extend highly effective power generation with a high-temperature gas turbine and produce hydrogen from water with a high-temperature. This report describes the results of the high-temperature test operation of the HTTR.