HGCTR Update: Simulation Success and Performance Breakthrough

We’re thrilled to announce a major milestone in the development of the Hybrid Gas Cooled Transmutation Reactor (HGCTR)! The HGCTR has been successfully implemented as an OpenMC simulation, and initial trials have yielded exceptional results, exceeding our expectations in terms of both power generation and fuel processing capabilities.

Key Highlights:

• Simulation Success: The HGCTR design has been successfully translated into a detailed OpenMC model, allowing us to perform comprehensive simulations and analyses.
• Power Output Exceeding Expectations: Initial simulations indicate a power output of 2GW, significantly higher than our initial projection of 1.2GW. This remarkable performance underscores the efficiency of the HGCTR design.
• Efficient Fuel Processing: The simulations confirm the HGCTR’s ability to efficiently process spent nuclear fuel while maintaining high power output, demonstrating its potential for closing the nuclear fuel cycle.
• Optimized Core Configuration: We have refined the reactor core’s structure and layout, strategically positioning the helium coolant and graphite moderator within the fuel assemblies to maximize performance and safety.

Next Steps:

We are currently conducting further simulations and analyses to assess the safety and operational characteristics of the HGCTR under various conditions. Following these rigorous trials, we plan to release open-source diagrams, data, and key findings to the public, fostering collaboration and transparency in the advancement of nuclear technology.

Stay tuned for more updates on the HGCTR project and other PQAR initiatives as we continue to push the boundaries of nuclear energy innovation. You can access the open source code of the project (Project Guava) at github.com/PlexQAR/Guava/tree/hgctr. The ‘main’ branch of the GitHub repository is a BWR simulation which is used to compare HGCTR data to a working reactor, for HGCTR simulations, use the provided ‘hgctr’ branch.

For more information on HGCTR and other PQAR projects, visit pqar.net.