The paper presents results of a parametric analysis of a hightemperature nuclear-reactor cogeneration system. The aim was to investigate the power efficiency of the system generating heat for a high-temperature technological process and electricity in a Brayton cycle and additionally in organic Rankine cycles using R236ea and R1234ze as working fluids. The results of the analyses indicate that it is possible to combine a 100 MW high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor with a technological process with the demand for heat ranging from 5 to 25 MW, where the required temperature of the process heat carrier is at the level of 650°C. Calculations were performed for various pressures of R236ea at the turbine inlet. The cogeneration system maximum power efficiency in the analysed cases ranges from ~35.5% to ~45.7% and the maximum share of the organic Rankine cycle systems in electric power totals from ~26.9% to ~30.8%. If such a system is used to produce electricity instead of conventional plants, carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by about 216.03–147.42 kt/year depending on the demand for process heat, including the reduction achieved in the organic Rankine cycle systems by about 58.01–45.39 kt/year (in Poland).

The paper presents a neutronic analysis of the battery-type 20 MWth high-temperature gas cooled reactor. The developed reactor model is based on the publicly available data being an ‘early design’ variant of the U-battery. The investigated core is a battery type small modular reactor, graphite moderated, uranium fueled, prismatic, helium cooled high-temperature gas cooled reactor with graphite reflector. The two core alternative designs were investigated. The first has a central reflector and 30×4 prismatic fuel blocks and the second has no central reflector and 37×4 blocks. The SERPENT Monte Carlo reactor physics computer code, with ENDF and JEFF nuclear data libraries, was applied. Several nuclear design static criticality calculations were performed and compared with available reference results. The analysis covered the single assembly models and full core simulations for two geometry models: homogenous and heterogenous (explicit). A sensitivity analysis of the reflector graphite density was performed. An acceptable agreement between calculations and reference design was obtained. All calculations were performed for the fresh core state.