5. Potential applications

5.1 Specificity of high-temperature reactors

The gas outlet temperature (700 to 900°C) chosen for current projects is a relatively low value, which poses no problems in terms of the materials and structures to be used. Proof of this is provided by the 20-year operation of the German AVR reactor, whose outlet temperature was raised to 950°C. Thanks to the use of a neutral heat transfer gas (helium), a moderator capable of withstanding very high temperatures in this atmosphere (graphite), and a ceramic fuel with good behavior up to 1,600°C, the HTR has a specificity that makes it possible to envisage applications inaccessible to other reactors.