Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2000 International RERTR Meeting

Situation of the technological irradiation reactors

A PROGRESS REPORT ON The Jules Horowitz REACTOR PROJECT

Alain BALLAGNY – Sylvie FRACHET – Michel ROMMENS – Bruno GUIGON (C.E.A.)

Jean-Luc MINGUET – Jean-Paul DUPUY – Claude LEYDIER (TECHNICATOME)

ABSTRACT

Since the shutdown of the SILOE reactor in 1997, the OSIRIS reactor has ensured all the needs regarding technological irradiation at the CEA, including those of its industrial partners and customers. Within this context, it has undergone regular renovation allowing it to maintain a high level of safety. This situation has led to release the planning of the Jules Horowitz Reactor which is now scheduled to continue up to the year 2010, thereby allowing the project with researchers to take advantage of this prolonged interval in order to optimize reactor performances and pursue studies within the field of possible materials in research reactors and irradiation devices. One of the critical points that limit performances and thus the flux levels of the JHR concern the maximum acceptable temperature on the aluminum cladding. We have formulated the hypothesis that the 150° C temperature should not be reached in any situation whatsoever (except in transients), but this limit must be determined with accuracy. Therefore tests concerning this problem have been carried out. Furthermore, the UMo₇ (8.0 g/cc) fuel was selected as a reference fuel in June 2000 with the U₃Si₂ fuel now being regarded as an alternative or “ fallback ” solution while awaiting final qualification of the UMo.

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