The IAEA collaborating centre for neutron activation based methodologies of research reactors

The Reactor Institute Delft of the Delft University of Technology houses the Netherlands' only academic nuclear research reactor, with associated instrumentation and laboratories, for scientific education and research with ionizing radiation. The Institute's swimming pool type research reactor reached first criticality in 1963 and is currently operated at 2MW thermal powers on a 100 h/week basis. The reactor is equipped with neutron mirror guides serving ultra modern neutron beam physics instruments and with a very bright positron facility. Fully automated gamma-ray spectrometry systems are used by the laboratory for neutron activation analysis, providing large scale services under an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 compliant management system, being (since 1993) the first accredited laboratory of its kind in the world. Already for several years, this laboratory is sustainable by rendering these services to both the public and the private sector. The prime user of the Institute's fac ilities is the scientific Research Department of Radiation, Radionuclide and Reactors of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, housed inside the building. All reactor facilities are also made available for use by or for services to, external clients (industry, government, private sector, other (international research institutes and universities). The Reactor Institute Delft was inaugurated in May 2009 as a new lAEA Collaborating Centre for Neutron Activation Based Methodologies of Research Reactors. The collaboration involves education, research and development in (I) Production of reactor-produced, no-carrier added radioisotopes of high specific activity via neutron activation; (II) Neutron activation analysis with emphasis on automation as well as analysis of large samples, and radiotracer techniques and as a cross-cutting activity, (IIl) Quality assurance and management in research and application of research reactor based techniques and in research reactor operations. This c ollaboration will further benefit from the Institute's plans for a cos t-effective upgrade of the present HOR taking into account recent technological developments and the objectives mentioned above, an upgrade will be realized involving three relatively independent modifications: (i) The installation of a cold-neutron source in beam-tube R2; (ii) Conversion of the core geometry to a 3x3 ultra-compact core including the positioning of a Be-reflector block around the radial beam tubes and (iii) An increase of the nominal power level to 3MW: The neutron beam instruments will gain orders of magnitude in performance, opening new research avenues; the thermal neutron fluence rates in the irradiation facilities for activation will go up by a factor 10-30 and a factor of 7 higher positron output (∼1.5x109s-1) is expected. The work plan for the collaboration between the IAEA and the Reactor Institute Delft will be outlined in the presentation as well as the current research activities at the reactor facilities and their opportunities.