Kazakhstan: IGR. Profile 13

Information of the impulse graphite reactor (IGR) is as follows: - On thermal neutrons; - Homogeneous uranium-graphite core; - On heat-capacity (has no coolant system); - Thermal power up to 10000 MW (10 GW) at non-controlled pulse mode; - Thermal power up to 1000 MW (1 GW) at controlled mode. Impulse graphite reactor IGR was created in 1960 year to research fast passing processes in the nuclear reactors and to obtain short-time, but rather high, integral fluxes of neutron and gamma radiation to irradiate the tested objects. Later on the reactor was used to conduct dynamic tests of the fuel pins and fuel assemblies (FA) according to the development of start-up modes of the land prototypes of nuclear rocket engine (NRE) and nuclear facilities safety, including conduction of the experiments on destructing and melting of fuel and design materials. Experimental studies and tests have been conducted and are conducted on IGR reactor, almost always associated with obtaining experimental information about fast physical and thermal processes in nuclear reactors, test objects efficiency in normal and emergency operating conditions, the behavior of fuel and construction materials for safety confirmation of systems and components of nuclear power plants. The IGR reactor is Impulse Research Reactor on thermal neutrons with homogeneous uranium-graphite core. IGR reactor is a self-quenching reactor by a principle of shutdown of any impulse.