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Pulstar (nuclear reactor)
Encyclopedia
NC State's
was the first university based reactor program and Nuclear Engineering
curriculum, and is still running today. The first research reactor
was built in 1953, scaled up in 1957 and 1960 (referred to as R-1, R-2, and R-3), and finally deactivated in 1973 to make way for the PULSTAR reactor. The old reactor is now decommissioned and the PULSTAR is used for a variety of purposes which include training and research. The reactor is located in Burlington Engineering laboratories on NCSU's main campus
, which was built to house the first reactor and then expanded and renamed when the PULSTAR was built.
The current reactor is one of two PULSTAR reactors built, and the only one still in operation. The other reactor was a 2 MW reactor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, which went critical in 1964 and was decommissioned in 1994.
The PULSTAR reactor is situated along Engineering Row in the main campus, surrounded by Mann Hall, Daniels, Polk hall, and a park. The reactor has a dedicated building and uses one cooling tower which can be seen releasing water vapor when the reactor is at high power. This building is not a Containment building
but maintains a negative pressure so that should there be a release of radioactive material, it would not seep out of the reactor building. The reactor can be operated up to a power of 100 kW on natural circulation, or 1 Megawatt (MW) with the use of pumps.
The reactor enriches the department
curricula by providing hands on experience as well as training for students. Department enrollment was 72 total undergraduate students, 15 masters students, and 22 PhD students in 2002, all of whom directly benefit from use of the reactor. Additionally, 34 researches outside of Nuclear Engineering use the reactor and associated facilities.
The primary research purpose of the reactor is to provide a neutron source for activities such as Neutron activation analysis
. For example, Cobalt-60
irradiators are used by a number of departments to sterilize biological samples. It is also used for professional training for nuclear utility operators and engineers, DOE
Interns, and State and local radiation protection personnel.
This reactor is particularly well suited for duplicating the fuel performance of power reactors. The core consists of low enriched Uranium
pins that are intended to be very similar to what is used in commercial nuclear power plants
. This reactor was one of only two Pulstar reactors ever built.
There are five beam ports adjacent to the core of the reactor. This reactor is also well suited for experiments requiring a large neutron flux because peaking occurs around the edge of the core due to under moderation.
The PULSTAR reactor is a public facility and gives frequent tours with advance notice and clearance.
In September 2007, students, faculty and staff produced the most intense operating positron
beam anywhere in the world, according to a story written by NC State's Dave Pond, which can be viewed at http://ncsu.edu/featured-stories/innovation-discovery/oct-2007/antimatter-nuclear/index.php.
In November 2010, the PULSTAR reactor was linked to the nuclear engineering department of Jordan University of Science and Technology
(JUST), forming the first internet reactor laboratory in Jordan
, and becoming the first U.S research nuclear reactor to be used for educational purposes outside the United States. The new laboratory will enable JUST nuclear engineering students to use the PULSTAR reactor and observe the reactor's behavior under certain conditions via a virtual control panel. The project was set up in cooperation with the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission
, U.S Department of State, and the International Atomic Energy Agency
.
to join the faculty with plans to make NCSU the first academic institution to operate a nuclear reactor.
The first reactor at an academic institution went critical on September 5, 1953, approximately four years after construction had been started. This reactor was dubbed R-1 because it was the first university research reactor. It was a 10 kW, homogeneous reactor using highly-enriched Uranyl Sulfate as fuel. It operated for a short time but was shut down due to corrosion problems that lead to fuel leakage. Howard Blakeslee, science editor of Associated Press Service, called the reactor the First Temple of the Atom because of the public nature of this reactor.
In 1954 construction of Burlington Nuclear Laboratory began with funds from the AEC
and Burlington Mills. The purpose of this building was to house the successor to the R-1. Also in 1954 the first two PhDs in Nuclear Engineering
were presented.
In 1955, Dr. Raymond L. Murray, another recruit from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, joined the faculty, who later became the longest serving department head.
In the late 1950’s, Dr. Raymond L. Murray became head of the Applied Physics department where he also provided leadership to the beginning of a nuclear engineering educational program. The decision was made to offer the first B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering in the nation. In 1956 Clifford Beck departed the program to accept a position with the Atomic Energy Commission
in Washington. Raymond Murray and Professor Harold Lammonds assumed supervision of the nuclear program.
Between 1962 and 1964, the shielding of the R-3 reactor was extended to allow operation at higher power levels and this improved reactor began operation in 1963, operating at a steady-state power level of 250 kW. This reactor became a major part of the nuclear engineering instructional program and also began to provide some services in radioisotope production and neutron activation analysis.
In 1963 Raymond Murray resigned his position as head of Applied Physics to become Department Head of Nuclear Engineering. Simultaneous with this decision, the Nuclear Engineering Department was transferred from Applied Physics into the School of Engineering, then headed by Dr. Ralph E. Fadum, Dean.
Through the late 60s and early 70s the Air Force and Army began to send qualified students to the program to obtain M.S. degrees and later staff the nuclear programs in their own organizations. In the 70’s, the NESEP program (Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program) brought a number of well qualified enlisted men into the nuclear program to earn undergraduate degrees and a number of foreign countries contributed students to earn BS, MS or PhD degrees and then return to their respective countries.
By the time of shutdown, the reactor had achieved a total of 2 Megawatt-days of operation.
Internal discussions within Nuclear Engineering focused upon whether it would be better to further upgrade the R-3 reactor for both teaching and research or to shut down the reactor completely and replace it with an entirely new reactor. Dr. Martin Welt championed the latter point of view and this position was adopted by the department.
A new 3-story addition to Burlington Labs was constructed (the new building) and between the new building and the old building a reactor building was constructed along with a loading dock and walkway that bridged the old and new buildings. The reactor building housed the 1 MW pool nuclear reactor manufactured by AMF and known as the “Pulstar” reactor, named for its pulsing ability, where it can safely become super prompt critical and produce very short pulses of radiation.
The reactor became operational August 25, 1972, replacing the previous series. The initial costs were reported to be 1.5 M US$.
In the 1980s a Prompt Gamma facility and a Neutron Radiography facility were added. The prompt gamma facility performs the analysis of elements that emit characteristic signatures immediately on neutron capture. The Neutron Radiography facility provides imaging capabilities to the fundamental difference in the interaction of neutrons with nuclei in comparison to the interaction of x-rays and electrons.
In 1997 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
approved a 20 year license extension.
is a powerful non-destructive imaging technique for the internal evaluation of materials or components. It involves the attenuation of a neutron beam by an object to be radiographed, and registration of the attenuation process (as an image) digitally or on film.
Neutron radiography is similar in principle to X-ray radiography, and is complimentary in the nature of information supplied. The interactions of X-rays and neutrons with matter are fundamentally different, however, forming the basis of many unique applications using neutrons. While X-rays interact with the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus of an atom, neutrons interact with the nucleus itself.
For more information see neutron radiology.
Source (UCNS) uses neutrons produced in the reactor by slowing them down through a chamber of methane and other materials and holds them in a tank of D
2O. This addition is essentially a tap of neutrons from a beamport adjacent to the reaction to do this research.
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
was the first university based reactor program and Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
curriculum, and is still running today. The first research reactor
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:...
was built in 1953, scaled up in 1957 and 1960 (referred to as R-1, R-2, and R-3), and finally deactivated in 1973 to make way for the PULSTAR reactor. The old reactor is now decommissioned and the PULSTAR is used for a variety of purposes which include training and research. The reactor is located in Burlington Engineering laboratories on NCSU's main campus
North Carolina State University Main Campus
Main Campus is the primary campus of North Carolina State University, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, inside the Beltline. Notable features of Main Campus include the Bell Tower and D. H. Hill Library. The campus is known for its distinctive red brick buildings, sidewalks, plazas, and...
, which was built to house the first reactor and then expanded and renamed when the PULSTAR was built.
The current reactor is one of two PULSTAR reactors built, and the only one still in operation. The other reactor was a 2 MW reactor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, which went critical in 1964 and was decommissioned in 1994.
Current Reactor Operations
Containment building
A containment building, in its most common usage, is a steel or reinforced concrete structure enclosing a nuclear reactor. It is designed, in any emergency, to contain the escape of radiation to a maximum pressure in the range of 60 to 200 psi...
but maintains a negative pressure so that should there be a release of radioactive material, it would not seep out of the reactor building. The reactor can be operated up to a power of 100 kW on natural circulation, or 1 Megawatt (MW) with the use of pumps.
The reactor enriches the department
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
curricula by providing hands on experience as well as training for students. Department enrollment was 72 total undergraduate students, 15 masters students, and 22 PhD students in 2002, all of whom directly benefit from use of the reactor. Additionally, 34 researches outside of Nuclear Engineering use the reactor and associated facilities.
The primary research purpose of the reactor is to provide a neutron source for activities such as Neutron activation analysis
Neutron activation analysis
In chemistry, neutron activation analysis is a nuclear process used for determining the concentrations of elements in a vast amount of materials. NAA allows discrete sampling of elements as it disregards the chemical form of a sample, and focuses solely on its nucleus. The method is based on...
. For example, Cobalt-60
Cobalt-60
Cobalt-60, , is a synthetic radioactive isotope of cobalt. Due to its half-life of 5.27 years, is not found in nature. It is produced artificially by neutron activation of . decays by beta decay to the stable isotope nickel-60...
irradiators are used by a number of departments to sterilize biological samples. It is also used for professional training for nuclear utility operators and engineers, DOE
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
Interns, and State and local radiation protection personnel.
This reactor is particularly well suited for duplicating the fuel performance of power reactors. The core consists of low enriched Uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
pins that are intended to be very similar to what is used in commercial nuclear power plants
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
. This reactor was one of only two Pulstar reactors ever built.
There are five beam ports adjacent to the core of the reactor. This reactor is also well suited for experiments requiring a large neutron flux because peaking occurs around the edge of the core due to under moderation.
The PULSTAR reactor is a public facility and gives frequent tours with advance notice and clearance.
In September 2007, students, faculty and staff produced the most intense operating positron
Positron
The positron or antielectron is the antiparticle or the antimatter counterpart of the electron. The positron has an electric charge of +1e, a spin of ½, and has the same mass as an electron...
beam anywhere in the world, according to a story written by NC State's Dave Pond, which can be viewed at http://ncsu.edu/featured-stories/innovation-discovery/oct-2007/antimatter-nuclear/index.php.
In November 2010, the PULSTAR reactor was linked to the nuclear engineering department of Jordan University of Science and Technology
Jordan University of Science and Technology
The Jordan University of Science and Technology , often abbreviated JUST, is a comprehensive, state-supported university located on the outskirts of Irbid at Ar Ramtha region, in northern Jordan....
(JUST), forming the first internet reactor laboratory in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, and becoming the first U.S research nuclear reactor to be used for educational purposes outside the United States. The new laboratory will enable JUST nuclear engineering students to use the PULSTAR reactor and observe the reactor's behavior under certain conditions via a virtual control panel. The project was set up in cooperation with the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission
Jordan Atomic Energy Commission
Jordan Atomic Energy Commission was established in place of the Jordan Nuclear Energy Commission. The main objective of the JAEC is to promote and develop peaceful utilization of atomic energy.-Objectives:...
, U.S Department of State, and the International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
.
Incidents
A leak was detected and the reactor was subsequently shut down on July 2, 2011. The leak rate was said to be 10 gallons per hour (out of a 15,600-gallon pool), which is far below the 350 gallons per hour that is mandated must be officially reported to the regulator. The leak was said to be "pinhole" size and requires special equipment to detect.Early history
The first reactor was a part of a 1-story building called Burlington Nuclear Laboratories at the time and currently referred to as the old building of the Burlington Engineering Labs, which has classrooms surrounding the reactor bay. The old building is still in use with the reactor bay housing various new projects. The reactor itself has been completely decommissioned and moved out.R-1
In 1949, Dr. Clifford K. Beck was recruited from the Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a multiprogram science and technology national laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy by UT-Battelle. ORNL is the DOE's largest science and energy laboratory. ORNL is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, near Knoxville...
to join the faculty with plans to make NCSU the first academic institution to operate a nuclear reactor.
The first reactor at an academic institution went critical on September 5, 1953, approximately four years after construction had been started. This reactor was dubbed R-1 because it was the first university research reactor. It was a 10 kW, homogeneous reactor using highly-enriched Uranyl Sulfate as fuel. It operated for a short time but was shut down due to corrosion problems that lead to fuel leakage. Howard Blakeslee, science editor of Associated Press Service, called the reactor the First Temple of the Atom because of the public nature of this reactor.
In 1954 construction of Burlington Nuclear Laboratory began with funds from the AEC
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
and Burlington Mills. The purpose of this building was to house the successor to the R-1. Also in 1954 the first two PhDs in Nuclear Engineering
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
were presented.
In 1955, Dr. Raymond L. Murray, another recruit from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, joined the faculty, who later became the longest serving department head.
R-3
In 1956 work to build a heterogeneous reactor called R-3 began. This design was to use Materials Test Reactor plate-type fuel in Burlington Nuclear Labs. This reactor operated at a maximum power of 100 kW.In the late 1950’s, Dr. Raymond L. Murray became head of the Applied Physics department where he also provided leadership to the beginning of a nuclear engineering educational program. The decision was made to offer the first B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering in the nation. In 1956 Clifford Beck departed the program to accept a position with the Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
in Washington. Raymond Murray and Professor Harold Lammonds assumed supervision of the nuclear program.
Between 1962 and 1964, the shielding of the R-3 reactor was extended to allow operation at higher power levels and this improved reactor began operation in 1963, operating at a steady-state power level of 250 kW. This reactor became a major part of the nuclear engineering instructional program and also began to provide some services in radioisotope production and neutron activation analysis.
In 1963 Raymond Murray resigned his position as head of Applied Physics to become Department Head of Nuclear Engineering. Simultaneous with this decision, the Nuclear Engineering Department was transferred from Applied Physics into the School of Engineering, then headed by Dr. Ralph E. Fadum, Dean.
Through the late 60s and early 70s the Air Force and Army began to send qualified students to the program to obtain M.S. degrees and later staff the nuclear programs in their own organizations. In the 70’s, the NESEP program (Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program) brought a number of well qualified enlisted men into the nuclear program to earn undergraduate degrees and a number of foreign countries contributed students to earn BS, MS or PhD degrees and then return to their respective countries.
By the time of shutdown, the reactor had achieved a total of 2 Megawatt-days of operation.
History After Construction of the PULSTAR
A new 3-story addition to Burlington Labs was constructed (the new building) and between the new building and the old building a reactor building was constructed along with a loading dock and walkway that bridged the old and new buildings. The reactor building housed the 1 MW pool nuclear reactor manufactured by AMF and known as the “Pulstar” reactor, named for its pulsing ability, where it can safely become super prompt critical and produce very short pulses of radiation.
The reactor became operational August 25, 1972, replacing the previous series. The initial costs were reported to be 1.5 M US$.
In the 1980s a Prompt Gamma facility and a Neutron Radiography facility were added. The prompt gamma facility performs the analysis of elements that emit characteristic signatures immediately on neutron capture. The Neutron Radiography facility provides imaging capabilities to the fundamental difference in the interaction of neutrons with nuclei in comparison to the interaction of x-rays and electrons.
In 1997 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
approved a 20 year license extension.
Neutron Imaging Facility
Neutron radiographyNeutron Radiography
Neutron Radiography is the process by which film is exposed by first passing neutrons through an object to produce a visible image of the materials that make up the object. Primarily used in scientific investigations.- Brief History of Neutron Imaging :...
is a powerful non-destructive imaging technique for the internal evaluation of materials or components. It involves the attenuation of a neutron beam by an object to be radiographed, and registration of the attenuation process (as an image) digitally or on film.
Neutron radiography is similar in principle to X-ray radiography, and is complimentary in the nature of information supplied. The interactions of X-rays and neutrons with matter are fundamentally different, however, forming the basis of many unique applications using neutrons. While X-rays interact with the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus of an atom, neutrons interact with the nucleus itself.
For more information see neutron radiology.
Ultra Cold Neutron Source
The Ultra Cold NeutronNeutron temperature
The neutron detection temperature, also called the neutron energy, indicates a free neutron's kinetic energy, usually given in electron volts. The term temperature is used, since hot, thermal and cold neutrons are moderated in a medium with a certain temperature. The neutron energy distribution is...
Source (UCNS) uses neutrons produced in the reactor by slowing them down through a chamber of methane and other materials and holds them in a tank of D
Deuterium
Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is one of two stable isotopes of hydrogen. It has a natural abundance in Earth's oceans of about one atom in of hydrogen . Deuterium accounts for approximately 0.0156% of all naturally occurring hydrogen in Earth's oceans, while the most common isotope ...
2O. This addition is essentially a tap of neutrons from a beamport adjacent to the reaction to do this research.