The future of the IPR-R1 TRIGA MARK I reactor after 48 years operation

The TRIGA Mark I IPR-R1 Reactor operates in the Nuclear Technology Development Center/ Brazilian Committion for Nuclear Energy (CDTN/CNEN), originally Institute of Radioactive Researches, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, since November 6, 1960. Initially it operated for isotope production for different uses, being later used in wide scale for another purposes as analyses for activation with neutrons and training of nuclear power plants operators. Dozens of degree theses were also developed with the use of the reactor. Along the years, several improvements were introduced in the reactor and its auxiliary systems, with the purpose to provide better use of the facilities and with the objective to increase the safety in the operation. The reactor is ready right now to operate at 250 kW, and for sure the nuclear applications programmed will be improved. The Operation Manual and the Safety Analysis report were already modified, as well as the Emergency Plan and the relative procedures to the same. After the tests at the end of 2008, the reactor will already be operating in the new power. This work presents a description of the several accomplishments of the last years and comments about the possibility of new uses for the reactor in the several areas of nuclear applications and some of the experiments and tests results during the upgrading program. (authors)