Initial assessment of the operability of the VHTR-HTE nuclear hydrogen plant

The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) will provide the first demonstration of a closed-loop Brayton cycle at a commercial scale of a few hundred megawatts output of electricity and hydrogen. This paper presents an initial assessment of the NGNP with respect to production, operability, and safety goals. It examines the type of plant control system needed to meet production goals and to manage thermal stresses so that component life-time goals are achieved. It also examines the stability of the coupled plant to a loss of load, in the hydrogen plant. The results point the way for future research. (authors)