High temperature helium-cooled fast reactor (HTHFR)

Scoping calculations have been performed for a very high temperature (1000 °C) helium-cooled fast reactor involving two distinct options: (1) using graphite foam into which UC (12% enrichment) is embedded into a matrix comprising UC and graphite foam molded into hexagonal building blocks, shown in Fig. 1, and encapsulated with a SiC shell covering all surfaces, and (2) using UC only (also 12% enrichment) molded into the same shape and size as the foam–UC matrix in option 1. Both options use the same basic hexagonal fuel matrix blocks to form the core and reflector. The reflector contains natural uranium only. Both options use 50 μm SiC as a containment shell for fission product retention within each hexagonal block.The calculations show that the option using foam (option 1) would produce a reactor that can operate continuously for at least 25 years without ever adding or removing any fuel from the reactor. The calculations show further that the UC only option (option 2) can operate continually for 50 years without ever adding or removing fuel from the reactor. Doppler and loss of coolant reactivity coefficients were calculated. The Doppler coefficient is negative and much larger than the loss of coolant coefficient, which was very small and positive. Additional progress on and development of the two concepts are continuing.