The future of the IPR-R1 TRIGA Mark I reactor after 250 kw upgrading operation tests

Abstract

The TRIGA Mark I IPR-R1 reactor operates in the Nuclear Technology Development Center CDTN/CNEN, originally Institute of Radioactive Researches, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, since November 6, 1960. Initially it operated for isotope production for different uses, being later used in wide scale for another purposes as analyses for activation with neutrons and training of nuclear power plants operators.A lot of M. Sc. and a Ph.D degree theses were also developed with the use of the reactor.Along the years, several improvements were introduced in the reactor and its auxiliary systems, with the purpose to provide better use of the facilities and with the objective to increase the safety in operation.The reactor complete right now a program of power increase to 250kW, in the same year in that Center completes 50 years of foundation, which you will allow to enlarge the nuclear applications programmed for the same. The operation manual and the safety analysis were already modified, as well as the Emergency Plan and the relative procedures to the same. In the end of 2003, the reactorwill already by operating in the new potency. That work presents a description of the several accomplishments of the last years and comments about the possibility of new uses for the reactor in the several area of nuclear applications and some of the experiments and tests results during the upgrading program.