GCFR demonstration plant: conceptual design and status report. Briefing document and executive summary

Helium Breeder Associates (HBA), a non-profit corporation, has been the program manager and technical integrator of the Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR) development effort since 1977. When DOE discontinued support of the GCFR in 1980, the HBA members undertook the task of providing for an orderly termination and documentation of the program. HBA does not agree with the government's rational for withdrawing support for this promising technology and has directed its termination and documentation toward preserving the current state of its development. Toward that end, HBA has compiled a report of which this is a brief summary covering the conceptual design of the demonstration plant and status of the program as of the end of 1980. All the work in design, development, safety, and licensing which has been done to date, both in this country and in Europe, has given positive results and the prognosis for ultimately achieving the potential advantages of the GCFR is excellent. The report is intended to provide the reader with the design considerations that were current at the time of program termination. The report could be useful in restarting the program in the future by establishing the basis of the completed conceptual design and indicating a logical path for new design and development