Research nuclear reactors

Since the divergence of the first nuclear reactor in 1942, about 600 research or test reactors have been built throughout the world. Today 255 research reactors are operating in 57 countries and about 70% are over 25 years old. Whereas there are very few reactor types for power plants because of rationalization and standardisation, there is a great diversity of research reactors. We can divide them into 2 groups: heavy water cooled reactors and light water moderated reactors. Heavy water cooled reactors are dedicated to the production of high flux of thermal neutrons which are extracted from the core by means of neutronic channels. Light water moderated reactors involved pool reactors and slightly pressurized closed reactors, they are polyvalent but their main purposes are material testing, technological irradiations, radionuclide production and neutron radiography. At the moment 8 research reactors are being built in Canada, Germany, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Russia and Slovakia and 8 others are planned in 7 countries (France, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Slovakia, Thailand and Tunisia. Different research reactors are described: Phebus, Masurca, Phenix and Petten HFR. The general principles of nuclear safety applied to test reactors are presented. (A.C.)