The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) is intended to demonstrate the use of nuclear power for electricity and hydrogen production without greenhouse gas emissions. The DOE baseline for the NGNP Demonstration Project is the Very High Temperature Gas Reactor (VHTR). The reactor design is a graphite-moderated, helium-cooled, prismatic or pebble-bed thermal neutron spectrum reactor with an average reactor outlet temperature of at least 1000°C. The NGNP will use very-high burn up, low-enriched uranium, ceramic-coated particle fuel in a once-through fuel cycle. The service life of the NGNP is 60 years.

The VHTR concept is considered to be the nearest term reactor design that has the capability to efficiently produce hydrogen. The plant size, reactor thermal power, and core configuration will ensure passive decay heat removal without fuel damage or radioactive material releases during accidents.

The materials challenges and approach to prevent materials degradation issues for this reactor design through the NGNP Materials Program will be presented.

Subject
Pressure vessels, Test methods, Materials, Objectives, Manufacturing, Nuclear power, Materials performance, Reactors, Materials selection, Heat, Construction, Hydrogen, High temperature
Keywords:
Generation IV reactors, Very High Temperature Reactors, VHTR, Next Generation Nuclear Plant, NGNP, Tri Isotropic, TRISO
Government work published by the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) with permission of the author(s). Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2004
GOV
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