Fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) technology: recent advances and experimental support activities at UC Berkeley
Fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactors (FHRs) are a class of nuclear power plants that features low-pressure liquid fluoride salt cooling, high-temperature tolerant ceramic fuel, fully passive decay heat rejection, and a high-temperature power cycle. FHRs have the potential to economically and reliably produce large quantities of electricity and high-temperature process heat while maintaining full passive safety. FHRs are driving increasing interest at the national and international levels. In this presentation, recent advances in the development of FHR technology, including a pre-conceptual design for a commercial pebble-bed FHR developed in the Thermal-Hydraulics Laboratory at UC Berkeley, are introduced. Ongoing experimental activities in support of thermal-hydraulic model validation are also presented, with a focus on fully passive, natural-circulation-driven decay heat removal capability.