Practical experience with radiation dose reduction at the SGHWR at Winfrith

The SGHWR is a prototype 100MWe heavy water moderated, boiling light water cooled reactor which operated successfully from start-up in 1967/68 until its closure in October 1990. The reactor not only demonstrated the feasibility of the SGHWR system, but also provided invaluable information on the coolant chemistry of water reactors, together with an understanding of the radiological problems associated with activated corrosion products in water reactors. This paper describes the dose reduction programme at SGHWR, including the removal of high cobalt alloys from the coolant circuit and chemical decontamination of the circuit, which was carried out every year from 1969. (author)