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advanced gas-cooled reactor
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advanced gas-cooled reactor

engineering
Also known as: AGR
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Quick Summary

The advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR) is a type of nuclear reactor developed in the United Kingdom. It is a successor to the Calder Hall reactor, which was used for both plutonium production and power generation. The AGR uses enriched uranium dioxide fuel pins within zirconium-alloy channels that pass through a graphite moderator. Carbon dioxide circulates as a coolant, absorbing heat and transferring it to a steam generator, which then powers a traditional steam-turbine cycle for electricity production.1

While several AGRs were built in the UK, they have faced costly maintenance and malfunction issues, leading to no new constructions being planned.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. nuclear reactor - Advanced gas-cooled reactor
  2. nuclear reactor - High-temperature gas-cooled reactors

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