Next Generation Nuclear Plant
Encyclopedia
A Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) is a generation IV
version of the Very High Temperature Reactor
(VHTR) that could be coupled to a neighboring hydrogen production facility
. It could also produce electricity
and supply process heat. The United States Department of Energy
issued in 2007 a "request for expressions of interest from prospective industry teams" that want to provide design services for developing the NGNP.
Generation IV reactor
Generation IV reactors are a set of theoretical nuclear reactor designs currently being researched. Most of these designs are generally not expected to be available for commercial construction before 2030...
version of the Very High Temperature Reactor
Very high temperature reactor
The Very High Temperature Reactor , or High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor , is a Generation IV reactor concept that uses a graphite-moderated nuclear reactor with a once-through uranium fuel cycle. The VHTR is a type of High Temperature Reactor that can conceptually have an outlet temperature of...
(VHTR) that could be coupled to a neighboring hydrogen production facility
Hydrogen production
Hydrogen production is the family of industrial methods for generating hydrogen. Currently the dominant technology for direct production is steam reforming from hydrocarbons. Many other methods are known including electrolysis and thermolysis...
. It could also produce electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
and supply process heat. The United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
issued in 2007 a "request for expressions of interest from prospective industry teams" that want to provide design services for developing the NGNP.
See also
- Generation III reactorGeneration III reactorA generation III reactor is a development of any of the generation II nuclear reactor designs incorporating evolutionary improvements in design developed during the lifetime of the generation II reactor designs...
- Nuclear reactorNuclear reactorA nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
- Pebble bed reactorPebble bed reactorThe pebble bed reactor is a graphite-moderated, gas-cooled, nuclear reactor. It is a type of very high temperature reactor , one of the six classes of nuclear reactors in the Generation IV initiative...
- Very high temperature reactorVery high temperature reactorThe Very High Temperature Reactor , or High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor , is a Generation IV reactor concept that uses a graphite-moderated nuclear reactor with a once-through uranium fuel cycle. The VHTR is a type of High Temperature Reactor that can conceptually have an outlet temperature of...