Gas turbine modular helium reactor

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The Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR) is a class of

TRISO fuel compacts in a prismatic core
design. The power is generated via a gas turbine rather than via the more common steam turbine.

A conceptual design was produced by 1997,[1] and it was hoped to have a final design by 2005, and a prototype plant commissioning by 2010.[1]

Construction

The core consists of a graphite cylinder with a radius of 4 metres (13 ft) and a height of 10 metres (33 ft) which includes 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) axial reflectors at top and bottom. The cylinder allocates three or four concentric rings, each of 36 hexagonal blocks with an interstitial gap of 0.2 centimetres (0.079 in). Each hexagonal block contains 108 helium coolant channels and 216 fuel pins. Each fuel pin contains a random lattice of TRISO particles dispersed into a graphite matrix. The reactor exhibits a

TRISO fuel concept allows the reactor to be inherently safe. The reactor and containment structure is located below grade and in contact with the ground, which serves as a passive safety measure to conduct heat away from the reactor in the event of a coolant failure.[2]

Advantages

The Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor utilizes the

light water reactors (LWRs) generally use the Rankine cycle
, which is what coal-fired power plants use. Commercial LWRs average 32% efficiency, again as of 1995.

Legacy

Energy Multiplier Module (EM2)

In 2010 General Atomics conceptualized a new reactor that utilizes the power conversion features of the GT-MHR, the

nuclear waste considerably by transmutation.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "GT-MHR PROJECT" (PDF). IAEA. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  2. ^ Labar, Malcomb P. "The Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor: A promising option for near term deployment" San Diego, CA; General Atomics Presentation; 2002
  3. ^ The Fifty Percent Efficiency Nuclear Power Plant Archived April 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Energy Multiplier Module (EM²)". Ga.com. Retrieved 2013-09-05.

External links

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