Research Reactor Group


Objective:

To increase the capability of interested Member States to safely and reliably continue and improve scientific research and technology development at research reactors, to promote non-proliferation considerations.

Papers and Presentations:



Overview:

For over fifty years research reactors have been a key component in the development of nuclear science and technology. Their contributions to nuclear power, basic science, materials development, radioisotope production for medicine and industry, and education and training of scientists and engineers, are well documented. At the time of writing, we know of 650 research reactors that have been built, of which 283 are operational in 58 countries (85 in 40 developing countries), 258 are shut down and 109 have been decommissioned. They have had a remarkable safety record and have amassed more reactor-years of operation than power reactors. Dozens of different designs have been built, often for special purposes, using a large variety of different fuel types and fuel geometry. Although over 60% of operational reactors were commissioned over thirty years ago, in many cases reactors have been refurbished one or more times so that the key components are very much younger. Of course, in many instances spent fuel has been accumulating for the lifetime of the reactor and some of it is badly degraded.

In recent years many more reactors have been shut down than have been commissioned. This is a natural evolution as a new science evolves into technology. But, it does not mean that the need for research reactors is waning, quite the contrary. In fact, at present, 11 new research reactors are under construction and 9 are planned. These are for the most part innovative, multipurpose reactors designed to produce high neutron fluxes. Many will completely meet the nuclear research and development needs for the country in which they are built and offer opportunities for visiting scientists from abroad. In addition, they will provide radioisotopes locally and for the region. Many research reactors worldwide have also responded to non-proliferation concerns by converting from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. To facilitate this process there is international co-operation to develop and qualify new, high density LEU fuel.


Objectives:

Simply stated, the main objective is to strengthen the capability of interested Member States with to cope with research reactor fuel cycle issues. This includes fuel development, fabrication and qualification, mitigation of identified health, safety and environmental vulnerabilities associated with spent fuel management and storage, and promotion of conversion from HEU to LEU, repatriation of fuel to its country of origin, and regional solutions to the back end of the fuel cycle.

 



Figure 1. An IRT fuel assembly used in Russian designed IRT research reactors.

 



Figure 2. Transfer of MTR fuel assemblies to a transfer cask prior to shipment back to the United States.

 


Activities:

Activities in the Section are formulated to cover the fuel cycle needs of Member States with one or more research reactors in operation, shut down with irradiated fuel still on site, under construction or being planned. Moreover, they are formulated in co-operation with the activities on safety and utilization carried out in other Departments of the Agency to present an overall programme that covers all aspects of research reactors for interested Member States. Attending to fuel cycle needs promotes the continued development of scientific research and technological development at research reactors, which is an essential requirement for sustainable nuclear energy development. Particular attention is paid to coping with the legacy of aged and degraded (usually corroded) fuel at old, shut down, research reactors, especially those that wish to begin decommissioning.

Activities extend from the fabrication of fresh fuels and qualification of new fuels, through their use in core, to the management of spent fuel, up to, but not including, its final disposition. Particular emphasis is placed on various options for the back-end of the fuel cycle, including return of the fuel to the country where it was originally enriched, reprocessing, or extended interim storage until decision on a final solution is taken. In addition, the international initiative known as the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) is actively supported. RERTR seeks to reduce and finally eliminate all commerce in HEU for research reactors by encouraging them to convert from HEU to LEU, thereby reducing proliferation risks.


Methods of Delivery:


Established mechanisms such as Technical Committee and Advisory Group Meetings are convened to review selected areas of technology associated with the research reactor fuel cycle and the country presentations are published together with summaries of the deliberations in the form of IAEA TECDOCs. For broader ranging topics on research reactors, Symposia are held, usually in co-operation with other Departments dealing with research reactor issues.

Co-ordinated Research Projects are held on particular research topics and usually involve both developing and developed Member States. CRPs provide an excellent forum for the exchange of detailed technical information and by holding research co-ordination meetings at participating laboratories; transfer of “know-how” on tricky experimental procedures is often accomplished.

Other mechanisms of delivery include Training Courses, Workshops and the preparation of guidance documents. For example, the complex technical and administrative preparations required to ship fuel to the country where it was originally enriched is a typical area that has been addressed by Interregional Training Courses and the drafting of a Guidance documentation. Moreover, since the requirements change rapidly, there is a need to update and repeat such activities periodically. Another effective mechanism of delivery is to hold major International Conferences in Co-operation with the Agency. This allow the financial support of participants from Developing Member States to present papers at such Conferences which otherwise they would be unable to attend.

A measure of success in the above-mentioned activities is reflected in requests for scientific contracts, National Projects and Regional Projects from developing Member States. The Agency’s Department of Technical Co-operation provides assistance via such Projects with the technical back up of NFC&MS staff. They offer expert advice, individual training and the procurement of equipment for specific research reactor fuel cycle problems in the country in question. In the Regional Projects, regional co-operation leading to regional solutions is particularly encouraged.

  • Technical Meeting on USE of low enriched Uranium in Accelerator Driven Sub-critical Assemblies


    The Technical Meeting (TM) was held in Vienna from 10-12 October 2005, and was attended by 15 experts from 13 Member States and 3 internal experts from NEFW. The participants provided twelve technical presentations describing the research activities in their member states for accelerator driven sub-critical assemblies (ADS). Click on the details and presentations/papers from the meeting.
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