APSARA's reincarnation by 2012: Banerjee

Mumbai, Oct 30 (PTI) 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 Friday.

The basic design of the new reactor core and various
reactor systems for the refurbished 53-year-old APSARA has
been completed, he said at the BARC's Founder's day function.
As per the Separation Plan under the Indo-US Civil
Nuclear Deal announced in 2006, the fuel core of APSARA, the
swimming pool type reactor in shape, was to be shifted outside
BARC (a strategic lab).
The Canadian built reactor, was using imported highly
enriched uranium as fuel.
Banerjee said, the refurbishing was needed to include
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
as part of the decommissioning activities, prior to
refurbishment, he said, adding, "various non-destructive
testing of the core of APSARA indicated that the reactor pool
structure is healthy and can be retained."
The upgraded reactor will provide enhanced facility to
carry out beam tube research, radioisotope production,
calibration and testing of neutron detectors, material
irradiation and bulk shielding experiments, Banerjee said.
The power of APSARA will also be enhanced to 2 MW
(thermal) and "all the process and the nuclear control systems
will be modernised," he added. PTI LV
DDC


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