New Hot Cell Facility for post irradiation examination

The New Hot-Cells Facility (NHF) of Post Irradiation Examination Division (PIED) at RLG, BARC is designed for the Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) of irradiated nuclear fuels and structural components from research and power reactors. The NHF consists of two hot cells made of heavy density concrete and a number of lead cells. The hot cells are designed to handle β-γ radioactivity. The lead cells in the facility are equipped with testing machines for evaluation of mechanical properties of irradiated materials. In addition, the facility will be also used for failure analysis of nuclear reactor components. This article describes the salient features of the hot cells and the PIE capabilities of the NHF. (author)