Australian history was made today when a key component of Australia’s replacement research reactor, OPAL, called the Reflector Vessel, was installed in the Reactor Pool.
“The vessel’s role is vital in operating the OPAL reactor as it contains heavy water that reflects neutrons released from the reactor core back into the core,” said ANSTO* assistant project manager, Mr Ross Miller.
“These neutrons are used to create radioisotopes for medical and industrial customers and to provide neutron beams for scientific research, both key reasons for building the new reactor.
“While its main purpose is to sustain the nuclear reaction, the draining of the vessel provides an efficient second means of shutting down the reactor,” explained Mr Miller.”
Once the vessel is fully installed, which will take a few months, beam lines feeding neutrons to special instruments, which will use the neutrons to carry out state-of the-art materials testing and research, can start to be built and attached to the reactor pool.
The cylindrical zirconium alloy reflector vessel approximately 2.6m in diameter and 1.2 m in height was successfully lowered into the 13m deep reactor pool, watched by invited media and reactor workers.
The reflector vessel was made in Argentina by INVAP, the designers and builders of OPAL, and shipped to Australia in a Hercules jet.