The Institute for Nuclear Fusion (INF) is involved in the development of the
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. In 1995, INF received
grant money from ISTC for this project.
The Institute of Molecular Physics helped develop
centrifuge technology in the 1950s.[1] It uses centrifuge cascades
to produce stable isotopes for the medical and agricultural industries
and for sale on the market. The Institute conducts research
on isotopes, the nuclear fuel cycle, and solid-state physics.[2]
The Institute has an MR reactor
and an IR-8 reactor. Main research involves reactor
vessel annealing to prolong reactor life. Annealing helps eliminate
radiation and heat in the reactor to prevent embrittlement. The program
is funded, and the Institute has been successful in developing this technology.
They have developed a process for annealing US reactors, but while such
technology is unavailable in the United States, there is not much interest
in acquiring it from Russia.
The Nuclear Safety Institute (NSI) was created in
1990 to conduct severe accident analysis research and code validation,
which involves upgrading Russian reactors to comply with international
standards. The NSI also participates in the Rasplav
project with the OECD and the United States.
The scientific and technological divisions are as follows:
More
than 1000kg of HEU in various forms, including 90% HEU.[1] Laboratory
quantities of plutonium are also present.[2]
This site participates in the US
Department of Energy MPCA program. As of February 2001, upgrades at six of
the 13 buildings on site had been completed or partially completed. (See
also DOE's 1997 and
1998 MPC&A documents for
the Kurchatov Institute.)
The waste storage facility at this site contains 1,200 cubic meters (2000t) of
waste with an activity of 100,000 Ci and approximately 900 spent fuel
assemblies (6t) with an activity of 3,000,000 Ci.[1] In February 2002, the Institute announced plans to remove the majority of the
dangerous radioactive waste to a Radon
facility near Sergiyev Posad.[2] The Kurchatov Institute has proposed building a new radwaste storage facility on Simushir
Island, one of the Kuril Islands in the Russian Far East. Russian environmental organizations and
Sakhalin Oblast authorities are critical of the proposed facility because it allegedly will
allow storage of imported nuclear waste
from Taiwan and Japan.[1,3]
10, four of which are not operational
-
| Table
I: Research Reactors, Kurchatov Institute, Moscow |
| Unit |
Type |
Power |
Fuel Enrichment |
Status |
| Argus |
homogeneous |
20kWt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| F-1 |
graphite |
24kWt |
natural uranium, 2% enriched |
operational |
| Gamma |
tank |
125kWt |
20% - 90% HEU |
operational |
| Gidra |
homogeneous |
pulsed |
90% HEU |
operational |
| IR-8 |
pool |
8-80MWt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| MR |
tank |
40-50MWt |
90% HEU |
not operational |
| OR |
tank |
300kWt |
36% HEU |
operational |
| RFT |
channel |
20MWt |
10-90% HEU |
not operational |
| Romashka |
homogeneous |
40kWt |
90% HEU |
not operational |
| VVR-2 |
tank |
3MWt |
2-36% HEU |
not operational |
|
Argus
homogeneous
20kWt
The Argus reactor core volume is 22 liters of UO2SO4
solution containing 1.71kg of 90% HEU.
operational
The Argus research reactor does not have
on-site fuel or radioactive waste storage facilities.
The Argus research reactor was designed by the
State Specialized Design Institute
and commissioned in 1981.[1] The reactor is
used for neutron radiography, neutron activation analysis, and for the
production of isotopes and nuclear filters.[2] The International
Nuclear Safety Center refers to this reactor as a mini-reactor for
laboratories, using neutronics methods of analysis and control.[3]
F-1
tank
24kWt
The F-1 reactor core contains 46,411kg of natural uranium in the form of
cylindrical metallic slugs, balls, and pellets of UO2 and U3O8,
plus about 41kg of 2% enriched uranium in the form of cylindrical
metallic slugs.
operational
The
F-1 does not have radioactive waste storage facilities.
The F-1 was designed by the State Specialized
Design Institute and commissioned on 26
December 1946, making it the first Soviet reactor and the world's
oldest operating reactor.[1,2] According to the International
Nuclear Safety Center, the F-1 was designed to produce plutonium.[3] The F-1 is used to calibrate neutron
flux detectors, to test new ionization chambers, and to certify neutron
radiation detectors.[2]
Gamma
tank
125kWt
The Gamma reactor core contains 69 fuel assemblies
composed of uranium alloy[1] containing approximately 4 - 8kg of 36 -
90% enriched uranium.[2]
operational
The Gamma research reactor has a 10m3 metallic container for
liquid radioactive waste. There is no solid radioactive waste at the
reactor.
The State Specialized Design Institute designed the
Gamma reactor,[1] which
reached criticality in 1982.[2] The Scientific
Production Association Krasnaya Zvezda
and the Experimental Machine Building
Design Bureau in Nizhniy Novgorod were the chief constructors.[1,3,4] The
reactor is used for fuel rod longevity tests.[5] The International
Nuclear Safety Center lists the Gamma unit as a marine nuclear power
facility.[6]
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
IIN-3M Gidra
homogeneous
10MWt (stationary); 4,000MWt (pulsed)
The IIN-3M Gidra reactor core volume is 40 liters of
UO2SO4 solution containing 3.44kg of 90% HEU.
operational
The Gidra research reactor does not have spent fuel or
radioactive waste storage facilities.
The IIN-3M Gidra was designed by the State Specialized Design
Institute and was commissioned in 1972.[1] It is
used for nuclear physics research, neutron activation analysis, and fuel
assembly tests under non-stationary conditions.[2] The International
Nuclear Safety Center refers to the Gidra as a pulsed nuclear reactor
operating on power bursts of fast neutrons.[3]
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
IR-8 (formerly
IRT)
pool
8MWt[1] The International Nuclear Safety
Center reports power output of up to 80MWt.[2]
The normal core loading for the IR-8 reactor is 16
fuel assemblies[1] of UO2-Al fuel containing 4.35kg of 90% HEU.[2]
operational
The IR-8 reactor storage pool has a capacity for 120
spent fuel assemblies and, as of 1996, contained 36 assemblies that had
been discharged from the reactor from 1989-1995. The total weight of
U-235 in the assemblies was 5.79kg.
The IRT pool-type reactor, which reached criticality in
1957, was shut down in 1979 and replaced by the IR-8.[1] The
IR-8 reached criticality on 1 August 1981.[2] The
State Specialized Design
Institute designed the reactor.[3] The reactor
is used for nuclear physics and solid state physics research, neutron-activation
analysis, neutron radiography, radiation tests of materials, and isotope
production.[1] In 1992, the
reactor was pulled off line for modernization because the
conditions at the reactor heat-exchange system did not conform to existing
safety standards.[4,5,6,7] Rossiyskaya gazeta reported that Gosatomnadzor
ordered a decommissioning of the IR-8 and MR reactors following a resolution
adopted by Mossovet (Moscow City Administration), which required their
shut down.[8] Pursuant to the summer 1995 decision of Gosatomnadzor, the
IR-8 was restarted on 18 April 1996 after a series of technical improvements
in the heat-exchange equipment.[7, 9]
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
MR
tank
40MWt
The normal core loading was 9kg of 90% HEU.
Shut down in 1993.
Spent fuel from the MR reactor was discharged and
placed in the reactor's dry storage facility, located in an
isolated room of a building near the MR reactor building. As of 1996,
the storage facility held 187 fuel assemblies containing 63.3kg of fissile
material.
The MR reactor was commissioned in 1963.[1] In 1967, it underwent reconstruction and was recommissioned
for the second time. The State Specialized Design Institute designed the
reactor.[2] The reactor was used for the
testing of reactor materials, for neutron radiography, and for isotope
production.[3] The
International Nuclear Safety Center (INSC) refers to the MR reactor as a
multi-loop research reactor.[4] Rossiyskaya gazeta reported that Gosatomnadzor ordered the decommissioning of the
IR-8 and MR reactors following a resolution adopted
by Mossovet (Moscow City Administration), which required that they be shut
down.[5] The MR reactor was shut down in 1993.[1]
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
OR
tank
300kWt
The OR reactor core loading is 3.8kg of 36% enriched
uranium.
operational
Radioactive
waste from the OR reactor is stored in VVR-2 reactor storage
facilities.
The OR research reactor was commissioned in 1989.
It is used to research and test neutron and gamma-radiation shields and to test
the radiation stability of nuclear reactor equipment.
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
RFT
channel
20MWt
The RFT operated on fuel composed of U-Mg, UO2-Mg,
and UO2-Al, with 10 - 90% enriched uranium.
Shut down in 1962.
Spent fuel (with initial enrichment of 10%) that accumulated from the RFT reactor
from 1953-1958 is kept in
the MR reactor dry storage facility.
The RFT reactor reached criticality in 1952 and was shut
down in 1962. It was used to test reactor materials, fuel
rods, and fuel assemblies for power and research reactors.
Romashka
homogeneous
40kWt
The Romashka operated on UC2 fuel with 90% HEU.
Shut down in 1966.
Spent fuel that accumulated during reactor operation from 1964 to 1966,
containing approximately 44.5kg of U-235, is stored in an on-site dry storage facility.
The Romashka reactor reached criticality in 1964 and was shut down
in 1966. The reactor was used to research the characteristics of
nuclear power reactors for direct energy conversion.
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
VVR-2
tank
3MWt
The VVR-2 reactor operated on UO2-Al fuel with 2%
enriched uranium and U-Al alloy fuel with 36% enriched uranium.
Shut down in 1983.
Spent fuel that accumulated during reactor operation
from 1956-1982 is kept in the VVR-2 spent fuel pond. This includes 2,657
fuel rods (with initial enrichment of 10%) and 1,447 fuel rods (with initial
enrichment of 36%). The total weight of fissile materials in the spent
fuel is 241.6kg.[1]
The State Specialized Design Institute designed the
reactor.[1] It was used for nuclear physics research.[2]
Both natural uranium and uranium enriched from 1.6% to 96%
are used in
critical assemblies at the Kurchatov Institute. The total amount of fuel contained in all
assemblies at the Kurchatov Institute is about 48,270kg.
-
-
|
Table II: Critical Assemblies, Kurchatov Institute, Moscow |
| Unit |
Type |
Power |
Fuel |
Status |
| Astra |
uranium-graphite |
100Wt |
21% enriched U |
operational |
| V-1000 |
uranium-water |
200Wt |
4.4% enriched U |
not operational |
| Delta |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
80-90% HEU |
operational |
| Efir-2M |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| Grog |
uranium-graphite |
100Wt |
7%, 10%, 90% enriched U |
operational |
| Iskra |
uranium-water |
199Wt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| Kvant |
uranium-water |
1000Wt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| Mayak |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
|
not operational |
| MR |
water-beryllium |
1000Wt |
90% HEU |
not operational |
| Nartsiss M2 |
uranium-hydride-
zirconium |
10Wt |
96% HEU |
operational |
| P |
uranium-water |
200Wt |
1.6% - 10% enriched U |
operational |
| RBMK |
channel; uranium-graphite |
25Wt |
.7% - 3.6% enriched U |
operational |
| SF-1 |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| SF-3 |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
21% and 90% enriched U |
not operational |
| SF-5 |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
24% and 36% enriched U |
not operational |
| SF-7 |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
80% HEU |
operational |
| SK-Physical |
uranium-water |
600Wt |
3.6% - 4.4% enriched U |
operational |
| Thermit |
experimental assembly |
|
|
operational |
| UG |
uranium-graphite |
100Wt |
.7% - 90% enriched U |
not operational |
|
Astra
uranium-graphite
100W
The Astra operates on UO2 fuel
with 21% enriched uranium.
Research
of uranium graphite reactor cores.[1] High
temperature gas-cooled reactor research.[2]
operational
Astra critical assembly became operational in 1981.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
V-1000
uranium-water
200W
The V-1000 operated on UO2 fuel
with up to 4.4% enriched uranium.
VVER-1000 reactor research
Shut down in 1998.
The V-1000 critical assembly became operational in 1986.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Delta
uranium-water
100W
The Delta operates on UO2
fuel with 80 - 90% enriched uranium.
Critical
experiments and research of VVER reactor cores.
operational
The Delta critical assembly became operational in 1985.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Efir-2M
uranium-water
100W
The Efir-2M operates on UO2-Al
fuel with 90% HEU.
VVER reactor core research
operational
The Efir-2M critical assembly became operational in 1973.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Grog
uranium-graphite
100W
The Grog operates on UO2 fuel
with 7% and 10% enriched uranium.
Research of uranium-graphite reactor
cores.
operational
The Grog critical assembly became operational in 1980.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Iskra
uranium-water
199W
Iskra operates on UAl alloy fuel with 90%
HEU.
Research of reactor cores of different compositions,[1] particularly those of
the channel and module type.[2] The Filin and Chayka critical
assemblies are components of Iskra.[2]
operational
The Iskra
critical assembly became operational in 1996.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Kvant
uranium-water
1kW
The Kvant
operates on uranium intermetallic fuel with 90% HEU.
Research on VVER reactor cores and radiation detection and safety in multi-purpose VVER nuclear power
facilities;[1,2] naval research.[3]
operational
The Kvant
critical assembly became operational in 1990.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Mayak
uranium-water
100W
UAl alloy
VVER reactor core research.
shut down
The Mayak critical assembly became
operational in 1967.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
MR
(FM MR)
water-beryllium
1000W
The MR operates on UAl alloy
fuel with 90% HEU in the form of tubes.
Simulation of MR reactor
core loading.
Shut down.
The MR critical assembly became operational in 1971.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Nartsiss M2
Liquid metal-cooled reactor
10W
The Nartsiss M2 operates on UO2
fuel with 96% HEU.
Research on space reactors and reactor cores using uranium hydride-zirconium
fuel.[1,2]
operational
The Nartsiss M2 critical assembly became operational in
1983.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
P
uranium-water
200W
UO2 fuel with 1.6 - 10%
enriched uranium.
VVER reactor core research.
operational
The P critical assembly became operational in
1987.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
RBMK channel
30W
The RBMK operates on UO2 fuel with 2%
enriched uranium.[1] The normal core loading is 200kg of U-235.[2]
RBMK reactor core research[1] and simulation of the
loading of channel power reactors.[2]
operational
The RBMK critical assembly became operational in 1982.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SF-1
uranium-water
100W
90% HEU
Research on VVER reactor cores.
operational
The SF-1 critical assembly became operational in 1972.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SF-3
uranium-water
100Wt
The SF-3 operated on UZr alloy fuel with 90% HEU and
UO2 with 21% enriched uranium.
Research on VVER reactor
cores.
Shut
down in 1993.
The SF-3 critical assembly became
operational in 1979.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SF-5
uranium hydride-zirconium
100Wt
The SF-5 operated on intermetallic fuel
with 24% and 36% enriched uranium.
Research of reactor cores
with uranium hydride-zirconium fuel.
Shut down in 1993.
This
critical assembly became operational in 1972.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SF-7
uranium-water
100Wt
The SF-7 operates on UZr alloy fuel with
80% HEU.
Research
on VVER reactor cores.
operational
The SF-7 critical assembly became operational in 1975.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SK-Physical
(SK-FIZ)
600Wt
The SK-Physical assembly operates on fuel
containing 3.6% - 4.4% enriched uranium.
Research on the physical characteristics of VVER-1000
reactor fuel.
operational
The SK-Physical assembly became operational in 1997.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Thermit
Thermit is used to research yields from irradiated
fissile material at various temperatures.
operational
Thermit became
operational in 1990.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
UG
uranium-graphite, channel
100Wt
The UG
operated on fuel containing 0.7% - 90%
enriched uranium.
Uranium-graphite reactor research[1] and simulation of
the loading of channel production reactors.[2]
Shut down.
The UG critical assembly became
operational in 1965.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Three, two are operational.
There is no information indicating which
assembly has been shut down.
Garantiya-2
RBM-K
VVER
(For recent major developments, see the Research Facilities
Developments file):
4/25/2003: REPORTS OF RADIOACTIVE
CONTAMINATION AT KURCHATOV DENIED
On 25 April 2003, a number of media outlets reported, quoting
anonymous sources in the medical community, that there was a radioactive leak at the Kurchatov Institute.[1]
Authorities denied the reports. The head of Minatom's
Intergovernmental Cooperation and Information
Policy Directorate, Nikolay Shingarev, issued a
statement saying that "there
have been no accidents or incidents involving radioactive contamination of the
environment at the Kurchatov Institute, or at other facilities or organizations
in Moscow."[1,2] This statement was supported by
Radon specialists, who
took more than 200 air and soil samples at the Institute and found that
the level of radiation was normal.[1,3] Kurchatov employees told journalists
from the Ekho Moskvy radio station that reports regarding radioactive leaks appear every year on the eve of
the anniversary of the Chornobyl accident.[3]
2/6/2003: US REJOINS ITER
PROJECT
US President George Bush has
decided that the US Department of Energy (DOE) will rejoin the
International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor (ITER)
project, after having abandoned its association with ITER in 1998. DOE says that project research could take up to 20 years, with
construction of an
experimental facility possibly beginning in 2006, and operations in 2014. Though DOE estimates its ITER contribution at $500 million over a 10 year
period, the full extent of US participation is to be determined during
negotiations. [For more information, see the
2/6/2003 entry in the
General Fuel Cycle Developments
file.
1/11/2003: KURCHATOV OPENS
COMPUTER TRAINING CENTER FOR FORMER WEAPON SCIENTISTS
On 11 January 2003, the Center for Software Training and Development was
opened at the Kurchatov Institute. The Center was created by the US
Department of Energy (DOE) and the Kurchatov Institute with assistance from the US
Industrial Coalition (a US nonprofit association of corporations and
universities) and the Fund for Assistance to Small Innovative
Enterprises (Russia). This project was implemented within the framework of the DOE's
Initiative for Proliferation Prevention (IPP)
program. The Center's mission is to provide training in software development to former
nuclear weapon scientists. The Center consists of
a training center and a software
company, Optima Program. The latter was created by the Kurchatov Institute; the
institute-based innovation and technology center, Kurchatov Technopark; Optima, a
private Russian company; and the US firm
CTG Software. The basic training program includes
courses on the C++ and Java programming languages, database management systems, and
software project management. Over a period of 2-3 years, the Center is expected
to train at least 500 scientists. Specialists trained at the Center will work
in the development of
commercial software for civilian applications. At the moment, the Center is
negotiating contracts for software development with IBM and a number of
US nuclear power plants.[1] As Kurchatov President Yevgeniy Velikhov noted at the opening ceremony, "what we expect from
the implementation of this project is a transition from the export of brains to
the export
of technologies."[2]
