Cooling system upgrading from 250 kW to 1 MW

The Oregon State TRIGA reactor (OSTR) power capability was upgraded from 250 KW to 1 MW in 1969; however, funds were not available for simultaneous upgrading of the cooling system. Since then, the OSTR has been selectively operating at full power with the original 250 KW cooling system. After funds were made available in 1971 the construction on the new heat exchanger building began. The new cooling system was installed, equipment was checked out, corrections were made, and acceptance tests were run. In addition, several days were required to clean up the primary system water, since increased water flow (350 gpm) swirled 4 year's collection of sediment off the reactor tank bottom and into the primary system. Three interesting items have been noticed, which are apparently a result of the cooling system upgrading: (1) the radiation levels above the reactor tank have been reduced by a factor of 2 to 3, (2) a low resonance vibration in the reactor core occurs at 1 MW. The vibration is attributed to a combination of increased water turbulence and subcooled (surface) nucleate boiling, and (3) direct radiation levels from the demineralizer tank have increased approximately 8-fold. This resulted in a relocation of the tank and the use of supplemental shielding. Increased operating time at higher average power levels, plus disturbance of; sediment on the bottom of the reactor tank are believed to be the main sources of the higher radiation levels