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Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Naturally occurring uranium is composed of three major isotopes: uranium-238, uranium-235, and uranium-234. 235U is the only nuclide existing in nature that is fissile with thermal neutrons.
The nuclear fuel cycle, also called nuclear fuel chain, is the progression of nuclear fuel through a series of differing stages. It consists of steps in the front end, which are the preparation of the fuel, steps in the service period in which the fuel is used during reactor operation, and steps in the back end, which are necessary to safely manage, contain, and either reprocess or dispose of spent nuclear fuel. If spent fuel is not reprocessed, the fuel cycle is referred to as an open fuel cycle ; if the spent fuel is reprocessed, it is referred to as a closed fuel cycle.
The High Flux Australian Reactor (HIFAR) was Australia's first nuclear reactor. It was built at the Australian Atomic Energy Commission Research Establishment at Lucas Heights, Sydney. The reactor was in operation between 1958 and 2007, when it was superseded by the Open-pool Australian lightwater reactor, also in Lucas Heights.
Nuclear fuel is material used in nuclear power stations to produce heat to power turbines. Heat is created when nuclear fuel undergoes nuclear fission. Nuclear fuel has the highest energy density of all practical fuel sources. The processes involved in mining, refining, purifying, using, and disposing of nuclear fuel are collectively known as the nuclear fuel cycle.
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.
The SLOWPOKE is a family of low-energy, tank-in-pool type nuclear research reactors designed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) beginning in the late 1960s. John W. Hilborn is the scientist most closely associated with their design. They are beryllium-reflected with a very low critical mass, but provide neutron fluxes higher than available from a small particle accelerator or other radioactive sources.
The Megatons to Megawatts Program, also called the United States-Russia Highly Enriched Uranium Purchase Agreement, was an agreement between Russia and the United States whereby Russia converted 500 metric tons of "excess" weapons-grade uranium into 15,000 metric tons of low enriched uranium, which was purchased by the US for use in its commercial nuclear power plants. The official name of the program is the "Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the United States of America Concerning the Disposition of Highly-Enriched Uranium Extracted from Nuclear Weapons", dated February 18, 1993. Under this Agreement, Russia agreed to supply the United States with low-enriched uranium (LEU) obtained from high-enriched uranium (HEU) found to be in excess of Russian defense purposes. The United States agreed to purchase the low-enriched uranium fuel.
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The MIT Nuclear Research Reactor (MITR) serves the research purposes of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is a tank-type 6 megawatt reactor that is moderated and cooled by light water and uses heavy water as a reflector. It is the second largest university-based research reactor in the U.S. and has been in operation since 1958. It is the fourth-oldest operating reactor in the country.
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The Pakistan Atomic Research Reactor or (PARR) are two nuclear research reactors and two other experimental neutron sources located in the PINSTECH Laboratory, Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan.
The Washington State University Reactor (WSUR) is housed in the Dodgen Research Facility, and was completed in 1961. The (then) Washington State College Reactor was the brainchild of Harold W. Dodgen, a former researcher on the Manhattan Project where he earned his PhD from 1943 to 1946. He secured funding for the ambitious 'Reactor Project' from the National Science Foundation, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the College administration totaling $479,000. Dodgen's basis for constructing a reactor was that the College was primely located as a training facility for the Hanford site, as well as Idaho National Laboratory because there was no other research reactor in the West at that time. After completing the extensive application and design process with the help of contractors from General Electric they broke ground in August 1957 and the first criticality was achieved on March 7, 1961 at a power level of 1W. They gradually increased power over the next year to achieve their maximum licensed operating power of 100 kW.
The Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) is a nuclear research reactor located in Accra, Ghana and is the only nuclear reactor in the country. It is operated by the National Nuclear Research Institute, a sub-division of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. The reactor is a commercial version of the Chinese Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) design. The reactor had its first criticality on December 17, 1994.
The Nigeria research reactor (NIRR-1) is a nuclear research reactor located in Zaria, Nigeria. The reactor is located at the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT), part of Ahmadu Bello University. The reactor had its first criticality in 2004, launched by the then director of CERT, Prof. Ibrahim Musa Umar and is the only nuclear reactor currently operating in Nigeria.
References
- ↑ "CRP on Conversion of Miniature Neutron Source Research Reactors (MNSR) to Low Enriched Uranium (LEU)". Nuclear Fuel Cycle & Waste Technology. International Atomic Energy Agency. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ↑ "One of China's MNSR reactors converted to LEU". IPFM Blog. 2016-03-29. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
- ↑ Zhang, Zizhu; Liu, Tong (2018-10-30). "A review of the development of In-Hospital Neutron Irradiator-1 and boron neutron capture therapy clinical research on malignant melanoma". Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. 2: 49. doi: 10.21037/tro.2018.10.03 . ISSN 2616-2768.
- 1 2 3 Read "Reducing the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium in Civilian Research Reactors" at NAP.edu.
- ↑ Odoi, H. C.; Abrefah, R. G.; Aboh, I. J. K.; Gbadago, J. K.; Birikorang, S. A.; Amponsh-Abu, E. O. (October 2015). "Implementation of Reactor Core Conversion Program of GHARR-1" (PDF). 36th International Meeting on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors. Seoul, South Korea.
- ↑ "Ghanaian research reactor now set to run on LEU - World Nuclear News". world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
- ↑ Simon, J.; Ibrahim, Y. V.; Adeyemo, D. J.; Garba, N. N.; Asuku, A. (2021-11-01). "Comparative analysis of core life-time for the NIRR-1 HEU and LEU cores". Progress in Nuclear Energy. 141: 103970. Bibcode:2021PNuE..14103970S. doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2021.103970. ISSN 0149-1970.
- ↑ "Nigeria Converts its Research Reactor from HEU to LEU Fuel". www.iaea.org. 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
- ↑ Bokhari, Ishtiaq Hussain; Pervez, Showket (2010-01-01). "Safety analysis for core conversion (from HEU to LEU) of Pakistan research reactor-2 (PARR-2)". Nuclear Engineering and Design. 240 (1): 123–128. Bibcode:2010NuEnD.240..123B. doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2009.10.009. ISSN 0029-5493.
