Reprocessing technologies of the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) fuel

Sumita, Junya ; Ueta, Shohei   ; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko ; Yoshimuta, Shigeharu*; Sawa, Kazuhiro

A High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) is particularly attractive due to capability of producing high temperature helium gas and its inherent safety characteristic. Research and development of high temperature gas turbine plant and high temperature heat utilizing technology are now undergoing. The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is a research facility constructed by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. This paper describes reprocessing technology of HTGR fuels. Coated fuel particles, consisted of a microsphere of low enriched UO with TRISO particles, are used as the HTGR fuels. In order to reprocess HTGR fuels, a head-end process is needed and JAERI had confirmed jet-grind method as basic technologies of the head-end process. Since Purex method can be used after the head-end process, a reprocessing system for the HTGR fuels could be established. Also the preliminary study on the methodology for disposing graphite blocks in a HTGR was carried out, and its evaluation results were briefly presented.