Mumbai: The reincarnated India`s first
research reactor APSARA, located inside Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre (BARC) is expected to be available for researchers by
2012, BARC Director Dr Srikumar Banerjee said here on Friday.
The basic design of the new reactor core and various
reactor systems for the refurbished 53-year-old APSARA has
been completed, Banerjee said speaking at the BARC`s Founder`s
day function.
APSARA, a swimming pool type reactor, whose fuel core was
to be shifted outside BARC (a strategic lab), as per the
Separation Plan under the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal announced
in 2006.
APSARA, a Canadian built reactor, was using imported
highly enriched uranium as fuel. Now, it is not possible to
run it inside the BARC by using indegenous fuel without
refurbishing.
Banerjee said, the plan for upgradation also included
change over from the highly enriched uranium fuel core to a
low enriched uranium fuel core in line with the global norms.
APSARA was shut down in the first week of June this year
and the core has been refueled completely as part of the
decommissioning activities, prior to refurbishment, he said
adding, "reincarnated APSARA is expected to be available for
the users by 2012."
Banerjee said since various nive testing of
the core of APSARA indicated that the reactor pool structure
is healthy and.
However, since the main reactor building structure did
not fulfil the minimum requirey safety
norms, it was decided to demolish the existing structure and
construct a new reactoning the existing
pool structure, Banerjee said.
The power of APSARA will also be enhanced and the maximum thermal neutron flux will increase
substantially.
The upgraded facility to
carry out beam tube research, radioisotope production,
calibration and testmaterial
irradiation and bulk shielding experiments.
"All the process and nuclear condernised," Banerjee added.
Bureau Report
