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<strong>atw</strong> Vol. 63 (<strong>2018</strong>) | Issue 2 ı February<br />
Development of High Temperature<br />
Gas Cooled Reactor in China<br />
Wentao Guo and Michael Schorer<br />
1 Introduction of HTGR Recent developments in High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) attracted<br />
widespread attention. China, Japan, South Africa, USA, Russia and France are all actively initiating the development<br />
work of HTGR. Some developing countries expressed great interest in this type of reactor [1].<br />
| | Fig. 1.<br />
The 10 MWt High Temperature<br />
Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR)<br />
| | Fig. 2.<br />
The Pebble fuel element<br />
of the HTGR<br />
HTGR is one of the six Generation IV reactors put forward<br />
by Generation IV International Forum (GIF) in 20<strong>02</strong>.<br />
This type of reactor has high outlet temperature. It uses<br />
Helium as coolant and graphite as moderator. The helium<br />
temperature at the reactor core inlet/outlet is 250/750 °C.<br />
Pebble fuel and ceramic reactor core are adopted. At the<br />
center of each poppy seed-size fuel particle is a uranium<br />
kernel. Layers of carbon and silicon carbide contain the<br />
radioactive material [2]. Figure 1 shows the overall<br />
structure of the HTR-10 MW Test Module constructed by<br />
Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua<br />
University (INET). Figure 2 shows the pebble fuel element<br />
structure of HTGR.<br />
The most important feature of modular high temperature<br />
gas cooled reactor is that under any accident conditions,<br />
including large loss of coolant accident (LLOCA),<br />
the reactor can keep in safe state without any human or<br />
machine intervention.<br />
Modular HTGR also has other advantages such as:<br />
1. High generating efficiency: Its efficiency is 25 % higher<br />
than pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power<br />
plants because of the high outlet temperature.<br />
2. 2. Short construction period: 100 MWe HTGR adopts<br />
modular construction approach. Construction period<br />
can be reduced to two years. Compared to PWR power<br />
plants which have 5 to 6 years of construction, the<br />
interest payment during construction is reduced and<br />
the construction investment can be reduced by 20 %.<br />
3. 3. Simple system: The HTGR has passive safety features<br />
which greatly simplify the system. Engineering safety<br />
facilities like emergency core cooling system and full<br />
grade containment don’t need to be installed, which<br />
can reduce the construction investment.<br />
2 The development history of China’s HTR<br />
and its current situation<br />
The HTGR research and development work in China started<br />
in 1970s. By implementing the National High-Technology<br />
Project (863), Tsinghua University designed and<br />
built HTR-10 MW Test Module under the support<br />
of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). It<br />
realized the first power generation on January 7,<br />
2003 [3].<br />
In 2006, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China<br />
Nuclear Engineering Group Corporation (CNEC)<br />
and China Huaneng Group co-financed the<br />
construction of the HTR demonstration project,<br />
after which a complete industrial chain is formed.<br />
In this system, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy<br />
Technology, Tsinghua University is the liability<br />
subject of R&D in charge of technology R&D,<br />
providing design and technical support; CNEC<br />
is the major special project implementation<br />
body, responsible for designing, purchasing and<br />
constructing the demonstration project of<br />
nuclear island and its auxiliary system; Huaneng Shandong<br />
Shidao Bay Nuclear Power CO., LTD. takes charge of the<br />
investment operations of the demonstration project [4].<br />
The High Temperature Reactor-Pebble-bed Modules<br />
(HTR-PM) under construction has two reactors and<br />
one turbine. On December 9, 2012, the construction of<br />
Shandong Rongcheng Shidao Bay HTR demonstration<br />
project started. On April 20, 2015, civil construction of the<br />
basements came to an end and turned to the intensive<br />
equipment installation stage. The key point for construction<br />
was shifted from civil construction to installation<br />
construction. On June the 24 th , after two months of<br />
arduous struggle, the Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Project<br />
completed the pouring task of the reactor building<br />
walls for the first modular High Temperature Gas-cooled<br />
Demonstration Reactor in the world [5]. The reactor<br />
building walls were poured to 41.30 meters, marking<br />
the HTGR project meeting the requirement of heavy<br />
equipment lifting. On June the 27 th , capping of the Shidao<br />
Bay HTGR conventional island is finished [6]. This is<br />
another major project after the pouring task on June 24 th .<br />
On March 3, 2016, the construction of the reactor<br />
pressure vessel (RPV) and metal components inside the<br />
reactor was finished and they were transported to the site.<br />
On September 14, 2016, they finished installing the RPV<br />
for the first and second reactor as well as the internal metal<br />
components of RPV for the first reactor. The cylindrical<br />
vessel, 25 meters high and weighing 610 tons, is the<br />
biggest, heaviest and most complicated pressure vessel for<br />
a nuclear reactor, according to a statement from Huaneng<br />
Shandong Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Co. (HSNPC), the<br />
plant’s builder and operator. On October 14, 2016, the<br />
demonstration project finished all the tests of inverse<br />
power transmission successfully. On December 29, 2016,<br />
the main control room in Shidao Bay nuclear power plant<br />
is ready to be used. On January 21, 2017, the installation of<br />
the reactor core vessel was finished. The reactor core vessel<br />
is the key component of the metal structures inside the<br />
81<br />
ENERGY POLICY, ECONOMY AND LAW<br />
Energy Policy, Economy and Law<br />
Development of High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor in China ı Wentao Guo and Michael Schorer