Trying to create a list of Gen4 Reactors & Status,

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In summary, there are currently several Gen4 reactors in development and testing stages, with the most promising designs being the molten salt reactor, gas-cooled fast reactor, and sodium-cooled fast reactor. These reactors aim to improve safety, reduce nuclear waste, and increase efficiency. However, there are still challenges and regulatory hurdles to overcome before these reactors can be implemented on a large scale. Overall, the development of Gen4 reactors shows promise for the future of nuclear energy.
  • #1
Kidphysics
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This comes from the reactors listed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_IV_reactor

If more are presented in this format I will edit this post and allow mods to edit this post. I think it is interesting to follow the current progress of fission and hopefully I can get help in creating the list as some of you may also find a complete list interesting and useful. Perhaps we can submit a wikipedia page if we get a respectable list.

If someone knows of a somewhat complete list let me know. My idea is to catagorize them, have a small segment about their status and provide a link for further information. I am submitting this post now so I can get feedback and whatnot. Either way this is my work in progress, I will probably be including interesting reactors like AVR since it has interesting history.

Red=Current Blue=future Black= decommissioned etc

Gen 4 reactors & Status
Thermal reactorsCAREM
-A 25 MW, light water version of CAREM is currently being built near Atucha I Nuclear Power Plant as the first prototype and a second one of 200 MWe is planned to be installed in Formosa Province.
--no working link and I'm not chasing it atm.

Pebble bed reactorsAVR
-High contamination, the reactor vessel was filled in 2008 with light concrete in order to fix the radioactive dust. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVR_reactorHTR-10/ (HTR-PM)(possibly red?)
-In 2005, China announced its intention to scale up HTR-10 for commercial power generation. The first two 250-MWt High Temperature Reactor-Pebblebed Modules (HTR-PM) will be installed at the Shidaowan plant in Shandong Province and together drive a steam turbine generating 200 MWe. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009 and commissioning in 2013.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTR

THTR-300
-suffered a number of technical difficulties, and owing to these and political events in Germany, was closed after only four years of operation. One cause for the closing was an accident on 4 May 1986 with a limited release of radioactive dust caused by a human error during a blockage of pebbles in a pipe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THTR-300

PBMR
-postponed indefinitely http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PBMR
 
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  • #2
CAREM isn't really a Gen IV reactor -it's just a basic LWR, mostly quite a lot like the hundreds of others already in use in power stations and submarines, although it does fit with most definitions of SMRs (small modular reactors).

The WNA site is a good place to start (and generally more accurate/up to date than Wikipedia) - there's a decent list of the various fast spectrum reactors that have been built/planned over the years http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Current-and-Future-Generation/Fast-Neutron-Reactors/. Also including some Gen IV reactors is the http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Power-Reactors/Advanced-Nuclear-Power-Reactors/ page, and there's some good info on the http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Power-Reactors/Generation-IV-Nuclear-Reactors/ page. The WNA http://www.world-nuclear.org/nucleardatabase/advanced.aspx allows searching by type and is pretty thorough, although it doesn't include all research reactors.

The http://www.gen-4.org/Technology/systems/index.htm site includes brief summaries of the technologies and the work being done on them.
 
  • #3
what a post zoomstreak! I feel foolish for not being acquainted with that website. I may need to re consider m original post or include the information from those websites, should I have the time. Seems like I cannot edit my first post, so for now it will include a LWR ;(
 
  • #4
NASA has taken some interests in developing next generation reactors for space.

Ohio State University has performed some computational studies of molten salt reactors for NASA space applications.

They looked at 4 MW thermal and 60 MW thermal reactors and flow dynamics and basic design.

Molten salt reactors are an appealing technology for space because of their high temperature and low pressure operation, controllability, and high fuel burn up, among other features.

The proposed research will investigate how molten salt reactor technology can be used to power sub-100 kWe reactors for science missions and for MWe class reactors for human exploration. Both of these applications are cited as relevant to current US goals in space in NASAs Draft 2010 Space Power and Energy Storage Roadmap, and will greatly assist in space exploration. Specifically, sub-100 kWe reactors are a potential solution to the Pu-238 shortage, and molten salt reactor technology can address the issue of controlling small reactors. MWe class reactors require large amounts of fuel and benefit greatly from operating at high temperatures. A MWe molten salt reactor is capable at operating at high temperatures and would require less fuel than its traditional solid fuel counterpart.
There's a couple of links in that paragraph that weren't included with the quote that lead to some interesting papers and news articles.
 
  • #5


GT-MHR
-The South African PBMR company is developing a version of the HTR-PM, aimed at producing electricity at a lower cost than other HTR designs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GT-MHR

Prismatic block reactorsAgr
-The Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) was developed in the United Kingdom and has been successfully operated since the 1970s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_gas-cooled_reactor

GT-HTR
-A gas-cooled, graphite-moderated high-temperature reactor concept developed by General Atomics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GT-HTR

GT-MHR
-The South African PBMR company is developing a version of the HTR-PM, aimed at producing electricity at a lower cost than other HTR designs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GT-MHR

VHTR
-A very high-temperature reactor (VHTR) is a type of high-temperature reactor (HTR) that can operate at temperatures in the range of 800°C to 1000°C. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_high-temperature_reactor

Liquid metal cooled fast reactorsBN-600
-Currently the only commercially operated fast breeder reactor in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BN-600_reactor

BN-800
-A new BN-800 reactor is under construction at Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station in Russia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BN-800_reactor

EM2
-The Energy Multiplier Module (EM2) is a proposed design for a nuclear power reactor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Multiplier_Module

Superphenix
-This reactor was shut down in 1998 following a series of technical and financial problems and a lack of political support. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superphénix

Integral fast reactorsPRISM
-The PRISM reactor is a proposed nuclear power reactor that would use a fast neutron reactor and the pyroprocessing reprocessing method. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(reactor)

SFR
-Several Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) concepts are under development, including the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) design. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium-cooled_fast_reactor

GFR
-The Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) is a proposed reactor design that uses
 

Related to Trying to create a list of Gen4 Reactors & Status,

1. What are Gen4 reactors and how do they differ from previous generations?

Gen4 reactors, also known as fourth-generation reactors, refer to a new generation of nuclear reactors that utilize advanced technologies to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability. They differ from previous generations in terms of their design, fuel type, and cooling systems.

2. What is the current status of Gen4 reactors?

The development and deployment of Gen4 reactors are still in the early stages, with several countries and companies working on various designs. The first commercial Gen4 reactor is expected to be operational by the late 2020s.

3. What are the main benefits of Gen4 reactors?

Gen4 reactors have the potential to provide clean, reliable, and abundant energy without emitting greenhouse gases. They also have enhanced safety features and can use fuel more efficiently, producing less nuclear waste.

4. What are the challenges facing the development of Gen4 reactors?

One of the main challenges is the high cost of research and development for these advanced technologies. There are also concerns about public acceptance and regulatory approval, as well as potential security risks.

5. How do Gen4 reactors contribute to the future of nuclear energy?

Gen4 reactors have the potential to play a significant role in meeting the growing demand for energy while reducing carbon emissions. They can also help to diversify the energy mix and provide a reliable source of power, especially in countries that rely heavily on fossil fuels.

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