Very High Temperature Reactor as Safe and Diverse Energy Source

Abstract

Climate changes that are largely driven by the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. To cope with shrinking fossil fuel supplies and growing climate change, it is clear that a more resource-free, technology-led and environmentally friendly energy source will be required. The very high temperature reactor is a helium-cooled and graphite-moderated thermal reactor with refractory TRISO fuel. It is an inherent safe reactor that can produce heat up to 950 °C. Many countries are developing their own VHTRs as Generation IV reactors for the process heat supply and the massive hydrogen production without greenhouse gas emissions. The characteristics and the state of art for VHTR are introduced in this article as a potential candidate of future clean energy supply system including hydrogen.