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Status of helium-cooled nuclear power systems. [Development potential]

Abstract

Helium-cooled nuclear power systems offer a great potential for electricity generation when their long-term economic, environmental, conservation and energy self-sufficiency features are examined. The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) has the unique capability of providing high-temperature steam for electric power and process heat uses and/or high-temperature heat for endothermic chemical reactions. A variation of the standard steam cycle HTGR is one in which the helium coolant flows directly from the core to one or more closed cycle gas turbines. The effective use of nuclear fuel resources for electric power and nuclear process heat will be greatly enhanced by the gas-cooled fast breeder reactor (GCFR) currently being developed. A GCFR using thorium in the radial blanket could generate sufficient U-233 to supply the fuel for three HTGRs, or enough plutonium from a depleted uranium blanket to fuel a breeder economy expanding at about 10% per year. The feasibility of utilizing helium to cool a fusion reactor is also discussed. The status of helium-cooled nuclear energy systems is summarized as a basis for assessing their prospects. 50 references.
Publication Date:
Sep 01, 1977
Product Type:
Journal Article
Reference Number:
ERA-02-051590; EDB-77-111499
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Energy (Oxford); (United Kingdom); Journal Volume: 2:3
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; GCFR TYPE REACTORS; HTGR TYPE REACTORS; PROCESS HEAT REACTORS; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; CONDENSER COOLING SYSTEMS; DIRECT CYCLE COOLING SYSTEMS; ECONOMICS; EFFICIENCY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; FUEL CYCLE; REVIEWS; AUXILIARY SYSTEMS; AUXILIARY WATER SYSTEMS; BREEDER REACTORS; COOLING SYSTEMS; DOCUMENT TYPES; EPITHERMAL REACTORS; FAST REACTORS; FBR TYPE REACTORS; GAS COOLED REACTORS; GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS; REACTORS; 210300* - Power Reactors, Nonbreeding, Graphite Moderated; 210900 - Nuclear Power Plants- Process Heat Reactors- (-1987); 700200 - Fusion Energy- Fusion Power Plant Technology
OSTI ID:
7212008
Research Organizations:
General Atomic Co., San Diego, CA
Country of Origin:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: CODEN: ENEYD
Submitting Site:
TIC
Size:
Pages: 211-239
Announcement Date:
Sep 01, 1977

Citation Formats

Melese-d'Hospital, G., and Simnad, M. Status of helium-cooled nuclear power systems. [Development potential]. United Kingdom: N. p., 1977. Web.
Melese-d'Hospital, G., & Simnad, M. Status of helium-cooled nuclear power systems. [Development potential]. United Kingdom.
Melese-d'Hospital, G., and Simnad, M. 1977. "Status of helium-cooled nuclear power systems. [Development potential]." United Kingdom.
@misc{etde_7212008,
title = {Status of helium-cooled nuclear power systems. [Development potential]}
author = {Melese-d'Hospital, G., and Simnad, M}
abstractNote = {Helium-cooled nuclear power systems offer a great potential for electricity generation when their long-term economic, environmental, conservation and energy self-sufficiency features are examined. The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) has the unique capability of providing high-temperature steam for electric power and process heat uses and/or high-temperature heat for endothermic chemical reactions. A variation of the standard steam cycle HTGR is one in which the helium coolant flows directly from the core to one or more closed cycle gas turbines. The effective use of nuclear fuel resources for electric power and nuclear process heat will be greatly enhanced by the gas-cooled fast breeder reactor (GCFR) currently being developed. A GCFR using thorium in the radial blanket could generate sufficient U-233 to supply the fuel for three HTGRs, or enough plutonium from a depleted uranium blanket to fuel a breeder economy expanding at about 10% per year. The feasibility of utilizing helium to cool a fusion reactor is also discussed. The status of helium-cooled nuclear energy systems is summarized as a basis for assessing their prospects. 50 references.}
journal = []
volume = {2:3}
journal type = {AC}
place = {United Kingdom}
year = {1977}
month = {Sep}
}