Status and Progress for the Pebble-Bed Advanced High
Temperature Reactor (AHTR) by Per Peterson Mar 2009 [53 page pdf]
Overview of intermediate and long term nuclear energy options
* Modular PB-AHTR design
900 MWth / 410 MWe
Core power density 20 - 30 MW/m3
Core inlet/outlet temps 600°C/704°C
Uses available ASME Section III Materials
* Modular PB-AHTR development
Only 1% of the cost of nuclear plant construction in the USA is for natural resources ($35/KW for natural resources - metal and concrete, out of recent $3500/KW construction cost).
Three primary options exist for long-term, sustainable nuclear energy systems
• Fast neutron spectrum reactorsPlease read on at NextBigFuture
– Uranium-238 based fuel cycle
– Increased fission/capture probability (good neutron economy)
– Large transuranic inventories and complex reactivity control
• Thermal neutron spectrum reactors
– Thorium-232 based fuel cycle
– Requires highly efficient neutron economy (liquid fuels best)
– Small transuranic inventories and simple reactivity control
• Fission/fusion thermal spectrum hybrid reactors
– Uranium-238 or Thorium-232 based fuel cycle
– Abundant neutrons
– Small transuranic inventories and simple reactivity control
– Requires workable fusion power source