PLUTO reactor
Encyclopedia
PLUTO was a nuclear reactor
at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment
at Harwell, Oxfordshire
in the United Kingdom
, one of five reactors on the site.
It was based on the design of DIDO and used enriched uranium
metal fuel, and heavy water
as both neutron
moderator and primary coolant. There was also a graphite
neutron reflector
surrounding the core.
PLUTO was the third DIDO class reactor to become operational, after DIDO itself and HIFAR
.
The 26 MW PLUTO reactor went online in 1957 and was shut down in 1990. It is expected to be completely dismantled by 2024.
Both PLUTO and DIDO were used initially to test materials for use in commercial reactors, but latterly as intense neutron sources for diffractometry and the investigation of crystal structures.
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...
at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment
Atomic Energy Research Establishment
The Atomic Energy Research Establishment near Harwell, Oxfordshire, was the main centre for atomic energy research and development in the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1990s.-Founding:...
at Harwell, Oxfordshire
Harwell, Oxfordshire
Harwell is a village and civil parish in the Vale of White Horse west of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Amenities:...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, one of five reactors on the site.
It was based on the design of DIDO and used 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...
metal fuel, and 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...
as both neutron
Neutron
The neutron is a subatomic hadron particle which has the symbol or , no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton. With the exception of hydrogen, nuclei of atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which are therefore collectively referred to as nucleons. The number of...
moderator and primary coolant. There was also a graphite
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
neutron reflector
Neutron reflector
A neutron reflector is any material that reflects neutrons. This refers to elastic scattering rather than to a specular reflection. The material may be graphite, beryllium, steel, and tungsten carbide, or other materials...
surrounding the core.
PLUTO was the third DIDO class reactor to become operational, after DIDO itself and HIFAR
HIFAR
High Flux Australian Reactor was Australia's first nuclear reactor. It was built at the Australian Atomic Energy Commission Research Establishment at Lucas Heights....
.
The 26 MW PLUTO reactor went online in 1957 and was shut down in 1990. It is expected to be completely dismantled by 2024.
Both PLUTO and DIDO were used initially to test materials for use in commercial reactors, but latterly as intense neutron sources for diffractometry and the investigation of crystal structures.