ABSTRACT
The energy required for industrial process heat and process power is a major fraction of the primary energy demand in an industrialized nation. Industrial users in the US comprise the largest single category of consumers; they account for about 40% of the total primary energy consumption. The nuclear fission reactor has received consideration as an industrial process heat source at various points in its development dating back to the late 1940s. The stated objective is the development and demonstration of the necessary technology for the application of the heat derived from the nuclear reactor to high-temperature industrial chemical processes. The nuclear heated steam-hydrocarbon reformer has been selected for demonstration as the key process in coal hydrogasification, and the chemical heat pipe system has been selected for district heating.
