Fuel Element Designs for Gas-Cooled Reactors

Modern steam turbines are designed to use steam in the temperature range of 1000° to 1100°F. In a nuclear plant, heat must first be transferred from the interior of the fuel element to the fuel element surface, from the fuel element surface to the primary coolant, and from the primary coolant to the heat exchanger to create steam. In order to generate steam at a temperature of, say, 1000°F, it is necessary to have fuel elements that can operate at temperatures sufficiently above 1000°F to allow efficient heat transfer from the fuel element interior through the various heat-transfer stages to the final generation of steam. 

There are, of course, other requirements on fuel element design. In general, the following considerations are important in the design  

Fuel element development for gas-cooled reactors is illustrated by reviewing the fuel element technology of the magnox reactor, the AGR, the HTGR, and other types of gas-cooled reactors being constructed or developed. 

---

In the subsequent sections, more attention will be given to the considerations affecting the choice of the coolant, moderator, and fuel element design for gas-cooled reactors. Developments in plant equipment will be discussed in greater detail. The choice of the fuel cycle and its effect on economics and the utilization of nuclear resources will be discussed. Finally, future trends in gas-cooled reactor designs will be indicated. 

---