Research reactor
{{Short description|Nuclear device not intended for power or weapons}}
{{about|nuclear fission research reactors|experimental research nuclear fusion reactors|fusion reactor}}
{{Science with neutrons}}
File:Crocus-p1020483.jpg research reactor of the {{Lang|fr|École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne|italic=no}}, in Switzerland]]
Research reactors are nuclear fission-based nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or maritime propulsion.
Purpose
The neutrons produced by a research reactor are used for neutron scattering, non-destructive testing, analysis and testing of materials, production of radioisotopes, research and public outreach and education. Research reactors that produce radioisotopes for medical or industrial use are sometimes called isotope reactors. Reactors that are optimised for beamline experiments nowadays compete with spallation sources.
Technical aspects
Research reactors are simpler than power reactors and operate at lower temperatures. They need far less fuel, and far less fission products build up as the fuel is used. On the other hand, their fuel requires more highly enriched uranium, typically up to 20% U-235,Alrwashdeh, Mohammad, and Saeed A. Alameri. "Reactor Monte Carlo (RMC) model validation and verification in compare with MCNP for plate-type reactor." AIP Advances 9, no. 7 (2019): 075112. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5115807 although some use 93% U-235; while 20% enrichment is not generally considered usable in nuclear weapons, 93% is commonly referred to as "weapons-grade". They also have a very high power density in the core, which requires special design features. Like power reactors, the core needs cooling, typically natural or forced convection with water, and a moderator is required to slow the neutron velocities and enhance fission. As neutron production is their main function, most research reactors benefit from reflectors to reduce neutron loss from the core.
Conversion to low enriched uranium
The International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy initiated a program in 1978 to develop the means to convert research reactors from using highly enriched uranium (HEU) to the use of low enriched uranium (LEU), in support of its nonproliferation policy.{{cite web |date=13 January 2014 |title=CRP on Conversion of Miniature Neutron Source Research Reactors (MNSR) to Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) |url=https://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/Technical-Areas/RRS/mnsr.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142533/https://www.iaea.org/OurWork/ST/NE/NEFW/Technical-Areas/RRS/mnsr.html |archive-date=Jun 12, 2018 |access-date=25 October 2015 |website=Nuclear Fuel Cycle & Waste Technology |publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency}}{{cite web |url=http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/na-20/rertr.shtml |title=Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors |publisher=National Nuclear Security Administration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041029185156/http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/na-20/rertr.shtml |archive-date=29 October 2004}} By that time, the U.S. had supplied research reactors and highly enriched uranium to 41 countries as part of its Atoms for Peace program. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy extended its Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance program until 2019.{{cite web |url=http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/na-20/usfrrsnf.shtml |title=U.S. Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance |publisher=National Nuclear Security Administration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060922192721/http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/na-20/usfrrsnf.shtml |archive-date=22 September 2006}}
As of 2016, a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report concluded converting all research reactors to LEU cannot be completed until 2035 at the earliest. In part this is because the development of reliable LEU fuel for high neutron flux research reactors, that does not fail through swelling, has been slower than expected.{{cite news |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/ridding-research-reactors-highly-enriched-uranium-take-decades-longer-projected |title=Ridding research reactors of highly enriched uranium to take decades longer than projected |last=Cho |first=Adrian |website=Science |date=28 January 2016 |access-date=13 April 2020}} {{As of|2020}}, 72 HEU research reactors remain.{{cite news |url=https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/IAEA-highlights-efforts-to-convert-research-reacto |title=IAEA highlights work to convert research reactors |publisher=World Nuclear News |date=24 February 2020 |access-date=13 April 2020}}
Designers and constructors
While in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s there were a number of companies that specialized in the design and construction of research reactors, the activity of this market cooled down afterwards, and many companies withdrew.
The market has consolidated today into a few companies that concentrate the key projects on a worldwide basis.
The most recent international tender (1999) for a research reactor was that organized by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation for the design, construction and commissioning of the Open-pool Australian lightwater reactor (OPAL). Four companies were prequalified: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), INVAP, Siemens and Technicatom. The project was awarded to INVAP that built the reactor. In recent years, AECL withdrew from this market, and Siemens and Technicatom activities were merged into Areva.
Classes of research reactors
- Aqueous homogeneous reactor
- Argonaut class reactor
- DIDO class, six high-flux reactors worldwide
- TRIGA, a highly successful class with >50 installations worldwide
- SLOWPOKE reactor class, developed by AECL, Canada
- OPAL reactor class, developed by INVAP, Argentina
- Miniature neutron source reactor, based on the SLOWPOKE design, developed by AECL, currently exported by China
- Aerojet General Nucleonics, 201 Models. Developed by Aerojet General in the United States. Three current reactors in operation at Idaho State University, The University of New Mexico, and Texas A&M University.
Research centers
{{Main|Neutron facilities}} A complete list can be found at the List of nuclear research reactors.
Research centers that operate a reactor:
Decommissioned research reactors:
| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
!Reactor Name !Country !City !Institution !Power Level !Operation Date !Closure Date !Decommissioned |
| ASTRA
|Austrian Institute of Technology |10 MW |1960 |1999 | |
| BER II
|{{Lang|de|Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin|italic=no}} |10 MW |1973 | |
| CONSORT
|100 kW | |
| JASON reactor
|10 kW |1962 |1996 | |
| MOATA
|Australian Atomic Energy Commission |100 kW |1961 |1995 | |
| High Flux Australian Reactor
|Australian Atomic Energy Commission | |1958 |2007 | |
| HTGR (Pin-in-Block Design)
|International Atomic Energy Agency |20MWt |1964 |1976 |
| DIDO
|Atomic Energy Research Establishment | | |1990 | |
| Nuclear Power Demonstration
|20 MW |1961 |1987 | |
| NRX
|AECL's Chalk River Laboratories | |1952 |1992 | |
| PLUTO reactor
|Atomic Energy Research Establishment |26 MW |1957 |1990 | |
| Pool Test Reactor
|AECL's Chalk River Laboratories |10 kW |1957 |1990 | |
| WR-1
|AECL's Whiteshell Laboratories |60 MW |1965 |1985 | |
| ZEEP
|AECL's Chalk River Laboratories | |1945 |1973 | |
| More Hall Annex
|100 kW |1961 |1988 | |
| Ewa reactor
|Świerk-{{Lang|pl|Otwock|italic=no}} |POLATOM Institute of Nuclear Energy |10 MW |1958 |1995 | |
| FiR 1
|Helsinki University of Technology, | |
| RV-1
|Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research |3 MW |1960 |1994 | |
| Salaspils Research Reactor
|2 kW |1961 |1998 | |
References
{{Reflist}}
- [http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf61.html WNA Information Paper # 61: Research Reactors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228055213/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf61.html |date=2013-02-28 }}
- [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04807.pdf Nuclear Nonproliferation: DOE Needs to Take Action to Further Reduce the Use of Weapons-Usable Uranium in Civilian Research Reactors], GAO, July 2004, GAO-04-807
External links
- [https://nucleus.iaea.org/RRDB/RR/ IAEA searchable list of Nuclear Research Reactors in the world]
- [https://www.trtr.org/ The National Organization of Test, Research, and Training Reactors, Inc.]
- [https://nmi3.eu/ NMI3 - EU-FP7 Integrated Infrastructure Initiative for Neutron Scattering and Muon Spectroscopy]
{{U.S. Research Reactors}}
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