High Temperature Reactors (VHTR and GFR)

The renewed interest in the Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) stems from its dual assets of being both an alternative type of fast neutron reactor avoiding critical issues associated with liquid metals, and a vision of highly sustainable high temperature reactor enabling a durable production of varied energy products. Five experimental and prototype high temperature reactors were built and operated from the sixties through the eighties in the United-States and Europe with block-type and pebble bed core designs. Today in different parts of the world: China, Usa, Japan, Republic of South-Africa, South Korea and Europe, there are different projects of prototypes of gas-cooled high temperature reactors. Current GIF (Generation 4. International Forum) activities on very high temperature reactors concern fuel fabrication, materials and components, hydrogen production and computer code for design studies while GIF's activities on gas-cooled fast reactors concern: fuel and core design, system design, decay heat removal strategy and safety systems. Gas-cooled reactors currently encounter less support in Europe than they do in other parts of the world