Conversion of the IAN-R1 reactor from MTR fuel to TRIGA LEU fuel

The Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Alternative Energies (INEA) in Bogota, Colombia, has operated since 1965, a small 10 kW(t) research reactor, known as the IAN-R1 reactor, which was upgraded to 30 kW(t) in 1980. This reactor was provided to the Republic of Colombia under the U.S. Atoms for Peace Program, and which has been fueled with MTR HEU fuel, enriched nominally to 93% U-235. With the cooperation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a gradual reactor upgrade program has been undertaken beginning in 1987. The first step in this program was the upgrade of reactor instrumentation and control systems. In December, 1994, the IAEA and INEA entered into a tripartite contract with General Atomics (GA) to prepare a new safety analysis report for performing an HEU to LEU conversion of the R-1 reactor, manufacture TRIGA type LEU (19.7% enriched) fuel to replace the original MTR-HEU fuel plate assemblies, upgrade the reactor power to 100 kW(t), carry out additional upgrades of auxiliary reactor systems and commission the reactor with TRIGA fuel. (author)