R4 nuclear reactor
Encyclopedia
R4 nuclear reactor was a nuclear reactor
built at Marviken and the fourth nuclear reactor built in Sweden
. It was heavy water
moderated
and intended for the dual role of 130MWe of power generation and also plutonium
production. It had a central role in the Swedish nuclear weapon program. During the mid 1960s the socialdemocratic government officially abandonded the project of designing Swedish nuclear weapons and the Marviken-plant became derelict. It was never loaded with fuel, and the project was cancelled in 1970.
The turbine hall was subsequently used for an oil-fired power station, and the pressure vessel and containment building were subsequently used for experiments into reactor behaviour under accident conditions.
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
built at Marviken and the fourth nuclear reactor built in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It was heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
moderated
Neutron moderator
In nuclear engineering, a neutron moderator is a medium that reduces the speed of fast neutrons, thereby turning them into thermal neutrons capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction involving uranium-235....
and intended for the dual role of 130MWe of power generation and also plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
production. It had a central role in the Swedish nuclear weapon program. During the mid 1960s the socialdemocratic government officially abandonded the project of designing Swedish nuclear weapons and the Marviken-plant became derelict. It was never loaded with fuel, and the project was cancelled in 1970.
The turbine hall was subsequently used for an oil-fired power station, and the pressure vessel and containment building were subsequently used for experiments into reactor behaviour under accident conditions.