Chalk River: The Development of Canada

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Chalk River The Development of Canadas
Nuclear Research Facilities
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Chalk River

• September 1942 Joint British-Canadian
  laboratory formed in Montreal under the auspices
  of the National Research Council of Canada
• Formed for the purpose of developing a heavy
  water moderated nuclear reactor to produce
  plutonium needed for the American atomic bomb
• Several scientists relocated to the safety of
  Canada for this project

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Chalk River

• 1944 the project moved to Chalk River, 200 km
  northwest of Ottawa on the Ottawa River
• At present, Chalk River has grown to employ over
  2000 people

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ZEEP

• 1945 a 1 Watt prototype reactor, ZEEP (Zero
  Energy Experimental Pile) was developed at Chalk
  River Laboratories
• Canada becomes the 2nd country in the world to
  use a nuclear reactor to control the fission
  process

ZEEP reactor
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ZEEP

• The purpose was as a prototype for future
  reactors, notably the NRU and NRX reactors
• It allowed Canadian researchers to better
  understand the physics and practical problems of
  heavy water moderated reactors

ZEEP control panel prior to 1956
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Nuclear Research eXperimental (NRX)

• 1947 - NRX (Nuclear Research eXperimental) came
  online at Chalk River
• NRX was a multipurpose machine. It was designed
  to provide neutron beams for research, test
  materials and nuclear fuels, make isotopes as
  well as generating plutonium to support British
  and US weapons programs as a member of NATO
• At 20 MW it was the worlds largest research
  reactor, propelling Canada to the forefront of
  nuclear research

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National Research eXperimental (NRX)

• Canadas invention of cobalt cancer therapy in
  1951 was made possible by isotopes developed
  using the NRX.
• December 12, 1952 NRX suffers partial meltdown
  due to operator error and mechanical issues
• Radioactive material leak was primarily contained
  in the NRX building
• Clean up required several months with the core
  being removed and buried

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National Research eXperimental (NRX)

• Within 2 years, a new core operating at 42 MW was
  operational
• The accident became a focal point for advancement
  in nuclear reactor safety and design
• By the 1960s the military role of the reactor had
  disappeared, and the focus was solely research
  and development, including the creation of
  medical isotopes
• Taken off-line in 1992

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National Research Universal (NRU)

• 1949 Design began on a reactor to replace NRX,
  as no one knew how long a research reactor should
  last
• November 3, 1957 NRU (Nuclear Research
  Universal) began self-sustained operation as a
  200 MW natural uranium reactor
• 1964 Converted to 60 MW with high enriched fuel
• 1991 Converted to 135 MW with low enriched fuel

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NRU

• May 24, 1958 Significant accident at NRU when a
  damaged fuel rod caught fire and was torn in two
  as it was removed from the reactor
• There was contamination of the reactor building
  and the surrounding site. Clean up and repair
  took only 3 months.
• August 1958 NRU restarted operation after the
  accident

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NRU

• Advantages of the NRU design are that it can be
  easily dismantled and have major parts replaced
  and that it allows on-power refueling
• NRU has been responsible for the majority of the
  worlds medical radioisotopes
• NRU was the source of knowledge that allowed the
  development of CANDU reactors

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SLOWPOKE

• SLOWPOKE Safe Low-Power Kritical Experiment
• 1967 - First designed by Atomic Energy Canada
  Limited (AECL) in Pinawa, Manitoba
• Designed for university use, to provide high
  neutron flux at a relatively low cost
• 1970 First prototype SLOWPOKE-1 was built at
  Chalk River and moved to Toronto in 1971

Image used with permission of McMaster University
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SLOWPOKE

• SLOWPOKE-1 initially operated at 5 kW with a
  permissible unattended period of operation of 4
  hours. In 1973 this was increased to 20 kW and
  18 hours.
• 1976 a commercial reactor, SLOWPOKE-2 replaced
  the SLOWPOKE-1 in Toronto
• 1976-1984 seven SLOWPOKE-2 reactors were
  commissioned six in Canada and one in Jamaica
• 1980s SLOWPOKE-3 designed for district heating,
  however, market interest dwindled

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MAPLE

• MAPLE (Multipurpose Applied Physics Lattice
  Experiment) is a 10 MW pool reactor for medical
  isotope production, fuels and materials testing
  and neutron experimentation
• MAPLE 1 and MAPLE 2 went critical in February
  2000 and October 2003 respectively at Chalk
  River.
• May 2008 - the program was cancelled by AECL and
  the Canadian government, citing costs, time frame
  and risks of the program.

Image used with permission of AECL
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World-Leading Research

• Neutron beams, originally from NRX and now NRU,
  probe matter and improve the safety of
  structures. From Bertram Brockhouses Nobel
  Prize-winning work in the 1950s to the National
  Research Councils Canada Neutron Beam Centre
  today, Canada leads this field
• Many discoveries about the building blocks of
  matter were made at Chalk River, using not just
  NRX and NRU but giant atom-smashers like TASCC
  (Tandem Accelerator Superconducting Cyclotron)
  that operated from 1986 to 1996.

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World-Leading Research

• State-of-the-art chemistry, metallurgy, and
  engineering labs support advanced reactor
  development and makes existing reactors more
  efficient
• Research into advanced waste management and
  environmental protection techniques help us
  support a safe and sustainable nuclear industry.

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Conclusion

• Chalk River has been the hub of nuclear research
  and development in Canada since the mid-1940s
• NRU remains a world producer of medical isotopes
  after over 50 years of service
• Question for reflection or discussion
• What do you think of the initial purposes of
  Canadas nuclear facilities? What do you suppose
  prompted the change of focus?