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  

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.