KAMINI
Encyclopedia
KAMINI is a research reactor
at Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam
, India
. Its first criticality was on October 29, 1996. It produces 30 kW of thermal energy at full power.
KAMINI is cooled and moderated by light water, and fueled with uranium-233 metal produced by the irradiation of thorium
in other reactors.
KAMINI was the first reactor in the world designed specifically to use uranium-233 fuel. Use of the large thorium reserves to produce nuclear fuel is a key strategy of India's nuclear energy program.
Research reactor
Research reactors are nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or maritime propulsion.-Purpose:...
at Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam
Kalpakkam
Kalpakkam is a small town in Tamil Nadu, India, situated on the Coromandel Coast 70 kilometres south of Chennai. A conglomerate of two villages and a DAE township, it is about 55 km from Thiruvanmiyur....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Its first criticality was on October 29, 1996. It produces 30 kW of thermal energy at full power.
KAMINI is cooled and moderated by light water, and fueled with uranium-233 metal produced by the irradiation of thorium
Thorium
Thorium is a natural radioactive chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It was discovered in 1828 and named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder....
in other reactors.
KAMINI was the first reactor in the world designed specifically to use uranium-233 fuel. Use of the large thorium reserves to produce nuclear fuel is a key strategy of India's nuclear energy program.
External links
- Applications of KAMINI - The Reactor at the India Department of Atomic EnergyDepartment of Atomic Energy (India)The Department of Atomic Energy is a department directly under the Prime Minister of India with headquartered in Mumbai. The department is responsible for nuclear technology, including nuclear power and research....
website - India: Experimental thorium reactor critical: News report, 1996
- IGCAR Repocessing Group page documents use of reprocessed uranium-233 in KAMINI