Feasibility study of new applications at the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor

Ho, H. Q.; Honda, Yuki*; Hamamoto, Shimpei; Ishii, Toshiaki; Takada, Shoji; Fujimoto, Nozomu*; Ishitsuka, Etsuo

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

Current R&D status of thermochemical water splitting hydrogen production iodine-sulfur process in Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2; Reliability improvements of corrosion-resistant equipment

Kamiji, Yu; Noguchi, Hiroki; Takegami, Hiroaki; Tanaka, Nobuyuki; Iwatsuki, Jin; Kasahara, Seiji; Kubo, Shinji

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 7 Pages, 2018/10

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting R&D on the thermochemical iodine-sulfur (IS) process for nuclear-powered hydrogen production. The IS process is one of the promising candidates of heat application of the HTGR. JAEA achieved continuous hydrogen production for one week with a hydrogen production rate of 30 NL/h by using a test apparatus made of glass and fluororesin material. Subsequently, JAEA fabricated main chemical reactors made of industrial materials and confirmed their integrity in corrosive environments in the IS process. Based on the results, JAEA has constructed a 100 NL/h-H-scale test facility made of industrial materials; one of the important materials is the glass-lined steel for corrosion resistant components such as vessels, pipes and protective sheaths of sensors. This report will present technical matters to improve reliability of the glass-lined protective sheaths of thermocouple. In addition, results of quality confirmation will be presented, which are stress analyses for the glass layer by FEM, tests for heat cycle, bending load and corrosion.

Study on Pu-burner high temperature gas-cooled reactor in Japan; Introduction scenario

Fukaya, Yuji; Goto, Minoru; Ueta, Shohei; Tachibana, Yukio; Okamoto, Koji*

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 9 Pages, 2018/10

The research on introduction scenarios of Pu-burner High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) of Japan has been performed based on the "Long-term Energy Supply and Demand Outlook" released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan in 2015. In the perspective, the electricity generation capacity of nuclear power generation reduces from 50 GWe (peak around 2010) to 30 GWe in 2030. To maintain the capacity, light water reactors (LWRs) should be introduced from 2025 to 2030. After 2030, HTGRs, which are superior to LWRs from the viewpoint of safety and economy, will be introduced to fill the capacity and incinerate plutonium. We assumed introduction of U fueled HTGR as well. The Pu-burner reactor will be introduced with the priority to incinerate separated plutonium by reprocessing. Moreover, we also evaluated hydrogen generation and its effect on CO reduction. As a result, effective plutonium incineration and CO reduction effect are confirmed.

Conceptual plant system design study of an experimental HTGR upgraded from HTTR

Ohashi, Hirofumi; Goto, Minoru; Ueta, Shohei; Sato, Hiroyuki; Fukaya, Yuji; Kasahara, Seiji; Sasaki, Koei; Mizuta, Naoki; Yan, X.; Aoki, Takeshi*

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

Conceptual design study of an experimental HTGR is performed to upgrade the plant system from Japanese High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) to a commercial HTGR. Safety systems of HTTR are upgraded to demonstrate the commercial HTGR concept, such as a passive reactor cavity cooling system, a confinement, etc. An intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) is replaced by a steam generator (SG) for a process heat supply to demonstrate the technology for a commercial use. This paper describes the conceptual design study results of the plant system of the experimental HTGR.

Study on Pu-burner high temperature gas-cooled reactor in Japan; Design study of fuel and reactor core

Goto, Minoru; Aihara, Jun; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Ueta, Shohei; Fukaya, Yuji; Okamoto, Koji*

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

JAEA has conducted design studies of a Pu-burner HTGR. The Pu-burner HTGR incinerates Pu by fission, and hence a high burn-up is required for the efficient incineration. In the fuel design, a thin ZrC layer, which acts as an oxygen getter and suppresses the internal pressure, was coated on the fuel kernel to prevent the CFP failure at the high burn-up. A stress analysis of the SiC layer, which acts as a pressure vessel for the CFP, was performed for with consideration of the depression effect due to the ZrC layer. As a result, the CFP failure fraction at high burn-up of 500 GWd/t satisfied the target value. In the reactor core design, an axial fuel shuffling was employed to attain the high burn-up, and the nuclear burn-up calculations with the whole core model and the fuel temperature calculations were performed. As a result, the nuclear characteristics, which are the shutdown margin and the temperature coefficient of reactivity, and the fuel temperature satisfied their target values.

Study on source of radioactive material in primary coolant of HTTR

Ishii, Toshiaki; Shimazaki, Yosuke; Ono, Masato; Fujiwara, Yusuke; Ishitsuka, Etsuo; Hamamoto, Shimpei

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 3 Pages, 2018/10

Investigation of irradiated properties of extended burnup TRISO fuel

Shaimerdenov, A.*; Gizatulin, S.*; Kenzhin, Y.*; Dyussambayev, D.*; Ueta, Shohei; Aihara, Jun; Shibata, Taiju

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 6 Pages, 2018/10

The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Republic of Kazakhstan (INP) conducts an irradiation test and post-irradiation examinations (PIEs) of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel and materials to develop the extend burnup fuel up to 100 GWd/t-U collaboratively with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) under projects in a frame of the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC). Cylindrical fuel compact specimens consisting of newly-designed TRISO (tri-structural isotropic) coated fuel particles and a matrix made of graphite material were manufactured in Japan. An irradiation test of the fuel specimens using a helium-gas swept capsule designed and constructed in the INP has been performed up to 100 GWd/t-U in the WWR-K research reactor by April 2015. In the next stage, PIEs with the irradiated fuel specimens have been started in February 2017 as a new ISTC project. Several PIE technologies by non-destructive and destructive techniques with irradiated fuel compacts were developed by the INP. This report presents the developed technologies and interim results of the PIE for high burning TRISO fuel.

Research and development for safety and licensing of HTGR cogeneration system

Sato, Hiroyuki; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Yan, X.

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 9 Pages, 2018/10

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been conducting research and development with a central focus on the utilization of HTTR, the first HTGR in Japan, towards the realization of industrial use of nuclear heat. On the basis of licensing experience through the HTTR construction, JAEA initiated an activity to establish an international safety standard for licensing of commercial HTGR cogeneration systems fully taking into account safety features of HTGRs. This paper explains a roadmap towards licensing of commercial HTGR cogeneration systems. A test plan using the HTTR to support the establishment of safety standards and safety analysis methods is also presented.

Recent advances in the GIF very high temperature reactor system

Ftterer, M. A.*; Li, F.*; Gougar, H.*; Edwards, L.*; Pouchon, M. A.*; Kim, M. H.*; Carr, F.*; Sato, Hiroyuki

Proceedings of 9th International Topical Meeting on High Temperature Reactor Technology (HTR 2018) (USB Flash Drive), 12 Pages, 2018/10

This paper provides an update on the international effort in the development of the VHTR system pursued through international collaboration between 8 countries in the GIF and an outlook on future R&D. The versatility of the VHTR enables it to be designed with inherent safety characteristics and optimized for both electric and non-electric applications, in particular for cogeneration of heat and power. Recent highlights from the four currently active GIF VHTR R&D projects are provided and placed into the context of the related national programs. Based on VHTR's relatively high technology readiness level, orientations for future R&D are outlined and will contribute to further enhancing the system's market readiness level.