WWR-K research reactor. Status and future plans

Nuclear reactor WWR-K is a light water tank-type research reactor commissioned in 1967. Reactor site is located on the territory of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the National Nuclear Center of Kazakhstan, 20 km far from the city of Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan. The reactor operated at 10 MW thermal power for 20 years until its temporary shutdown in 1988 for safety upgrades. After recommissioning in 1998, it operates at 6 MW power by cycles of up to 30 days duration. The reactor has several dozens of irradiation channels with thermal neutron flux 1012 to 1014 n·cm-2·s-1 and is equipped with hydraulic and pneumatic rabbit systems, neutron radiography facility, gas/vacuum loop facility, and a critical assembly which allows modeling of the reactor core, precise measurement of neutronic characteristics of in-core devices, and verification of neutronic calculations. Five concrete hot cells and four iron hot cells in the reactor building are used for handling of irradiated material. Current activities at the reactor are concentrated in production of radioisotopes for medicine and industry, irradiation tests of materials and components, and neutron activation analysis. Post-irradiation examinations use various methods, depending on specific tasks. A recent example is a high burnup irradiation test of ceramic tritium breeder material for fusion reactor which was conducted jointly with JAEA. Future plans are related to expansion of these activities, in particular for testing of prospective nuclear fuel for advanced reactor systems, and conversion of the reactor to low enriched uranium fuel. (author)