GEN-IV Reactors

Abstract

Generation-IV reactors are a set of nuclear reactors currently being developed under international collaborations targeting sustainability, safety and reliability, high economics, proliferation resistance, and physical protection of nuclear energy. Nuclear systems have been developed over a number of decades and have evolved to the third generation from the first generation of prototypes constructed in 1950s and 1960s, via the second generation of the commercial reactors operated worldwide after 1970s. While the third generation nuclear systems are currently proposed to the potential customers and under constructions with significant evolutionary in economics and safety based on lessons learnt through plenty reactor operations, nuclear experts from around the world began formulating the requirements for a generation IV of nuclear systems concerning over energy resource availability, climate change, air quality, and energy security. Six systems have been selected for further R&D as generation IV nuclear systems by Generation IV International Forum (GIF), which is a cooperative international endeavor organized to carry out the R&D needed to establish the feasibility and performance capabilities of Generation IV systems. The six systems are Gas-cooled Fast Reactor, Lead-cooled Fast Reactor, Molten Salt Reactor, Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor, Supercritical-Water Reactor, and Very-High-Temperature Reactor.