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Abstract

Decommissioning an HTR-10 is a matter of significant importance in engineering and nuclear program. HTR-10 is a helium-cooled graphited spherical element coated with fuel particles. The issues of fuel storage and decommissioning HTR -10 is designed in a way to burn up spent fuel at 80000 MWd/tU and thermal power output is 10 MW.

It is important to store the discharged spent fuel in lead steel containers that are stored in concrete compartments allocated in the reactor building. The storage of spent fuels of the reactor has to be handled carefully of the given time span.

It is essential to understand the standard rules and codes of Chinese national to conduct a research and test reactors. The Chinese national authorities have issued certain important documents regarding the decommissioning of HTR-10 reactors, the safety regulation and operations and regulatory guide of decommissioning procedures.

Moving on, the paper discusses the important aspects of decommissioning in the HTR-10. The aspects include the design and operational phase, facilities, and preparatory activities of decommissioning.

The paper mentions about the HTR materials, including, the spent fuel, core internals, pressure vessels, containers, generators and system and components to discharge the spent fuel.  The most important element is the helium purification system and auxiliary systems. The HTR-10 research is conducted at the Nuclear Energy Technology center, a research site of HTR-10. The life span of the HTR-10 reactor plant life is estimated about 10-20 years, which will follow certain critical strategies for a decommissioning procedure.

1.     Introduction

 

HTR-10 TEST REACTOR

Before the commencement of decommissioning in the HTR-10, studying the characteristics of the HTR-10 reactor will help. The HTR-10 reactor is a major test reactor in the energy sector of China national high technology program. The reactor is characterized as the helium cooled, graphite unit giving a thermal output of 10 MW. It is the popular and advanced reactor of the next century and china economy is expected to grow rapidly in the nuclear program and flourish in future years.

There are two phases under which the HTR -10 projects are carried out. The first phase is the operation of the reactor with the coolant outlet temperature at 700 C. The steam generators provide the steam for the steam turbine cycle.

The second phase, raise the temperature of reactor coolant to 900 C, in addition,  the gas turbine cycle is installed with steam turbine cycles.

The nuclear program’s criticality is of utmost importance, thus specifications and handling are important of nuclear reactors. As today, the HTR-10 test reactor is scheduled for 1999. The criticality schedules aim to learn the design, operations, establishing of irradiation and experimental facility, the safety standards and regulations, investment and working out in R and D, testing the turbine and generator technology for improvement in the future.

 

2.  National regulations

The decommissioning of HTR -10 is the matter of study to Chinese nationals, which have opted for different standards and codes for research and test reactors. China is a growing economy and developments in nuclear inventions are increasing rapidly. Thus, the Chinese nuclear safety authority has issued certain safety documents that are to be followed for the decommissioning procedure of HTR-10. The following documents are the nuclear safety regulations HAF 1000-1 Safety Regulations for the design of research Reactors.

Other documents include HAF 1000-2 related to the operations of reactors, 1004 is a regulatory guide of decommissioning of research reactors and critical facilities.

These documents are of high importance as they discuss the administrative, paperwork, documentations, responsibilities, safety regulations, requirements, approaches, coverage, and implementation of the decommissioning program….