Conceptual Design of the NGNP Reactor System

In May 2010, General Atomics (GA) was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project to develop the conceptual design for a steam-cycle modular helium reactor (SC-MHR) demonstration plant. The SC-MHR is a graphite-moderated, helium-cooled reactor that is designed to produce steam for industrial applications and/or electricity production using a Rankine cycle. The SC-MHR operates with a thermal power level of 350 MW and a coolant outlet temperature of 725°C. This paper provides an overview of the conceptual design of the SC-MHR reactor system (RS), including assessments of core performance in the areas of reactor physics and power distributions, temperature/flow distributions, fuel integrity, and fission product release.Copyright © 2012 by ASME