Nuclear process heat

Abstract

The need to substitute oil and other fossil fuels by nuclear power has led to a growing interest in the direct use of nuclear heat. This could he available at temperatures ranging from hot water at 50°C to gas at temperatures up to 1,000°C. The water cooled reactors could provide heat at a temperature up to 300°C; the gas cooled High Temperature Reactors (HTR), using present technology, could extend the temperature up to 800°C, while the VHTR (Very High Temperature Reactor), for which considerable further development is required for materials of construction, reactor design and fuel, could provide hot gas at temperatures up to 1,000°C.