The Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) system, which is one of generation IV reactors, is the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) with capabilities of hydrogen production and high efficiency electricity generation. The High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) is the first HTGR in Japan. The HTTR achieved full power of 30MW at a reactor outlet coolant temperature of about 950 °C in April, 2004 during the "rise-to-power tests" confirming the reactor performance. The safety demonstration tests by using the HTTR started from 2002 and are under going to demonstrate inherent safety features of HTGRs. The experimental data obtained in these tests are inevitable to design the VHTR with high cost performance. The analytical models validated through these tests in the HTTR are applicable to precise simulation of an HTGR performance and can contribute to the research and development of the VHTR.
Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has designed and developed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) hydrogen cogeneration system named gas turbine high-temperature reactor (GTHTR300C) as a commercial HTGR. Helium gas is used as the primary coolant in HTGR. Helium gas is easy to leak, and the primary helium leakage should be controlled tightly from the viewpoint of preventing the release of radioactive materials to the environment. Moreover from the viewpoint of preventing the oxidization of graphite and metallic material, the helium coolant chemistry should be controlled tightly. The primary helium leakage and the helium coolant chemistry during the operation is the major factor in the HTGR for commercialization of HTGR system. This paper shows the design concept and the obtained operational experience on the primary helium leakage control and primary helium impurity control in the high-temperature engineering test reactor (HTTR) of JAEA. Moreover, the future plan to obtain operational experience of these controls for commercialization of HTGR system is shown.
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