BARC to develop high temperature reactors

A prototype Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR) is being developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) as part of the Indian programme to produce hydrogen as a substitute for fossil fuels.

CHTR prototype would be a technology demonstrator for all high temperature nuclear reactors planned for the future, Director, Nuclear Reactor Engineer Division, R K Sinha told PTI.

"The high temperature nuclear reactors are being developed with an objective to provide energy to facilitate combined production of hydrogen, electricity and drinking water," Sinha said.

The reject and waste heat in the overall energy scheme is proposed to be utilised for electricity generation and desalination respectively, he said and added that hydrogen production using nuclear reactors will become economical too.

CHTR is mainly a Uranium-233-thorium fuelled reactor using lead-bismuth as coolant and beryllium oxide as moderator.

The reactor, initially being developed to generate 100 kw (thermal) power, will have a core life of around 15 years along with several advanced passive safety features to enable its operation as compact power pack in remote areas not connected to the electrical grid.

The reactor is designed to operate at 1,273 degree Kelvin (about 1,000 degrees Centigrade), to facilitate demonstration of technologies for high temperature process heat applications such as hydrogen production by splitting water through high efficiency thermo-chemical process.

For this reactor BARC scientists are carrying out work on fuel, structural materials, coolant technologies and passive systems.

In addition to CHTR, BARC has begun preliminary design process of a 600 Mw (thermal) reactor, capable of supplying heat at 1,273 deg Kelvin for large scale hydrogen production, Sinha said.

BARC also has plans of setting up engineering laboratories to carry out research and development related to reactor components, coolant technologies, reactor safety, fuel and material development including various other aspects connected to such high temperature reactors, Sinha said.