HIFAR
Encyclopedia
High Flux Australian Reactor (HIFAR) was Australia's first nuclear reactor
. It was built at the Australian Atomic Energy Commission
(later ANSTO) Research Establishment at Lucas Heights.
Based on the DIDO reactor at Harwell
in the UK, HIFAR was cooled and moderated by heavy water
, and the fuel was enriched uranium
. There was also a graphite neutron reflector surrounding the core. Like DIDO, its original purpose was nuclear materials testing, using its high neutron flux to give materials intended for use in nuclear power reactors their entire expected lifetime neutron exposure in a relatively short period of time.
HIFAR was used for research, particularly neutron diffraction
experiments, production of neutron transmutation doped (NTD) silicon, and for production of medical and industrial radioisotopes.
HIFAR went critical at 11:15 pm local time on January 26, 1958, and was first run at full power of 10MW (thermal) in 1960. The initial fuel load was highly enriched uranium, but over the years the enrichment level of new fuel was steadily reduced, in line with international trends designed to reduce the danger of diversion of research reactor fuel for weapons programs. HIFAR completed conversion to low enriched uranium fuel (LEU) in 2006.
Of the six DIDO class reactors built including DIDO itself, HIFAR was the last still in operation. HIFAR was permanently shut down on 30 January 2007.
In 2007 OPAL
, a 20MW replacement reactor was commissioned on an adjacent site. OPAL is served by the same complex of research, isotope production and remote handling laboratories. The two reactors ran in parallel for six months while OPAL was being tested. HIFAR was then permanently shut down and OPAL took over HIFAR's role of Australia's only operating nuclear reactor. Decommissioning of HIFAR is expected to take approximately ten years from shutdown.
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
. It was built at the Australian Atomic Energy Commission
Australian Atomic Energy Commission
The Australian Atomic Energy Commission was a statutory body of the Australian government.It was established in 1952, replacing the Atomic Energy Policy Committee. In 1981 parts of the Commission were split off to become part of CSIRO, the remainder continuing until 1987, when it was replaced by...
(later ANSTO) Research Establishment at Lucas Heights.
Based on the DIDO reactor at Harwell
Harwell
Harwell may refer to:*Harwell, Nottinghamshire, England*Harwell, Oxfordshire, England, a village**RAF Harwell, a World War II RAF airfield, near Harwell village....
in the UK, HIFAR was cooled and moderated by heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
, and the fuel was enriched uranium
Enriched uranium
Enriched uranium is a kind of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Natural uranium is 99.284% 238U isotope, with 235U only constituting about 0.711% of its weight...
. There was also a graphite neutron reflector surrounding the core. Like DIDO, its original purpose was nuclear materials testing, using its high neutron flux to give materials intended for use in nuclear power reactors their entire expected lifetime neutron exposure in a relatively short period of time.
HIFAR was used for research, particularly neutron diffraction
Neutron diffraction
Neutron diffraction or elastic neutron scattering is the application of neutron scattering to the determination of the atomic and/or magnetic structure of a material: A sample to be examined is placed in a beam of thermal or cold neutrons to obtain a diffraction pattern that provides information of...
experiments, production of neutron transmutation doped (NTD) silicon, and for production of medical and industrial radioisotopes.
HIFAR went critical at 11:15 pm local time on January 26, 1958, and was first run at full power of 10MW (thermal) in 1960. The initial fuel load was highly enriched uranium, but over the years the enrichment level of new fuel was steadily reduced, in line with international trends designed to reduce the danger of diversion of research reactor fuel for weapons programs. HIFAR completed conversion to low enriched uranium fuel (LEU) in 2006.
Of the six DIDO class reactors built including DIDO itself, HIFAR was the last still in operation. HIFAR was permanently shut down on 30 January 2007.
In 2007 OPAL
OPAL
OPAL is a 20 megawatt pool-type nuclear research reactor that was officially opened on 20 April 2007 at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Research Establishment at Lucas Heights, located in South Sydney, Australia.The main reactor uses are:* Irradiation of target...
, a 20MW replacement reactor was commissioned on an adjacent site. OPAL is served by the same complex of research, isotope production and remote handling laboratories. The two reactors ran in parallel for six months while OPAL was being tested. HIFAR was then permanently shut down and OPAL took over HIFAR's role of Australia's only operating nuclear reactor. Decommissioning of HIFAR is expected to take approximately ten years from shutdown.
Further reading
- Green, Jim. (1997). "Reactors, Radioisotopes & the HIFAR Controversy" PhD thesis, Department of Science & Technology Studies, University of WollongongUniversity of WollongongThe University of Wollongong is a public university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney...
, Australia. - Parliament of New South Wales (2004). Report on the Transportation and Storage of Nuclear Waste Report No. 53/01, ISBN 0734768885.
External links
- http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/8801068/ansto-whistleblower-denied-fairness/
- HIFAR page at ANSTO.