Experimental and theoretical activities in China

A 10 MW(th) HTGR test module, HTR-10 [89], is under construction since 1995 by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology (INET) of Tsinghua University in Beijing. It is a pebble bed reactor with 27,000 spherical fuel elements and a coolant outlet temperature of 700 °C (later 950 °C). Its operation is expected to start end of 1999. 

The HTR-10 is designed as a module for multipurpose research. In a first phase, the HTR-10 is planned to be operated in connection with a steam turbine which works in a cogeneration mode to provide electricity and heat. In a second phase, the coolant outlet temperature will be raised from 700 to 900 °C to be operated in a gas turbine cycle [79]. A long-term test program for nuclear process heat applications has been proposed in different phases [89]  

R D efforts on innovative nuclear power reactor designs were conducted in international cooperation. The Chinese design of an AC-600 reactor which has been accepted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a progressive concept is currently investigated by the Nuclear Power Institute of China [92]. 

A concept was proposed exploiting very heavy oil fields in the north-east of China by the use of process steam from an HTGR [22]. This oil with an estimated total amount of 90 million tons is buried in a depth of 1500 - 1700 m. By means of injection of 370 - 390 °C steam, the very heavy oil resources are heated up for easier recovery. The consumption of steam is approx. 3 - 5 t per ton of oil delivered. The energy input is estimated to be 30 - 50 % of that contained in the produced oil. Estimated oil production rate is 1.5-2 million t yr. Design data for the oil production by steam injection are for the steam-soak process a pressure of 16 MPa and a temperature of 370 °C, and for the steam-drive process a pressure of 10 MPa and a temperature of 350 °C. 

Two pebble bed HTGR designs for 1000 MW(th) (5 units of HTR-OTTO-200 or 3 units of HTR-MEDUL-334) were shown to be able to provide steam with the required parameters to open up the very heavy oil resources [22]. 

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