VR-1 Nuclear Experimental Hub
Nuclear Experimental Center VR-1
Nuclear Experimental Center VR-1, operated by the Czech Technical University in Prague, is, in accordance with Act 130/2002 Coll., a large infrastructure for research, development and innovation. As part of the special support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, CTU in Prague offers open access to the center for the purposes of research, development and innovation. As a large research infrastructure, the VR-1 Nuclear Experimental Hub follows on from the research infrastructure of the VR-1 school reactor, which has been providing open access since 2012. The operation of the large research infrastructure The VR-1 Nuclear Experimental Hub is supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic from funds to support large research infrastructures. In the period 2023-2029, the VR-1 nuclear experimental center is supported through the project LM2023073.
The main goal of the VR-1 nuclear experimental center is to offer research and development capacities in the form of open access to those interested in conducting basic and applied research in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy. The research infrastructure is a key cutting-edge experimental facility for the teaching of nuclear engineering in the Czech Republic, as well as for research and development work in nuclear fields, especially in the field of studying the safe operation of nuclear facilities, theoretical and experimental reactor and neutron physics, nuclear safety and the nuclear fuel cycle. Research and development work on the VR-1 and VR-2 reactors is primarily limited by the relatively small power. Therefore, they are primarily focused on the preparation and improvement of pedagogical tasks, comparison of calculations of various reactor parameters with experimental results, study of dynamic properties of multiplying systems, development of control systems, calibration of detectors and neutron applications. One of the important aspects of research work at the center is the use of neutron applications, e.g. neutron activation analysis or neutron imaging for multidisciplinary research in nuclear fields with natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.
In addition to the VR-1 and VR-2 nuclear reactors, the center also includes six specialized laboratories: the neutron activation analysis laboratory, the neutron interaction laboratory (neutron laboratory), the physical safety laboratory of nuclear facilities, the Internet Reactor Laboratory (IRL laboratory), the radiation protection and dosimetry laboratory, nuclear reactor control system laboratory (I&C laboratory) as well as external neutron sources and neutron detectors. The extensive experimental equipment of the reactor and laboratories, which is available to the reactor workers and its users, includes, for example, several vertical irradiation channels, one radial horizontal channel, one tangential horizontal channel, quick channel closure with shielding and measurement boxes for working with both horizontal channels, experimental MONTE equipment for advanced testing of neutron and gamma ray detection systems, D-D and D-T type neutron generators, Cf neutron source, experimental equipment for studying diffusion and Fermi age in water and graphite, equipment for calibration of neutron sources (so-called manganese bath), several spectrometric systems and multi-channel analyzers of various parameters, a sufficient number of neutron detectors of various types, etc.
Reactor VR-1
The VR-1 reactor is a pool-type light-water reactor with low-enriched uranium fuel, which has a power of 100 W with the possibility of short-term increase to 500 W (max. 70 hours per year). The neutron moderator is demineralized water, which also serves as a reflector, biological shielding and coolant. Heat removal from the reactor core takes place by natural convection. The basin arrangement of the reactor enables simple and quick access to the reactor core, easy installation and removal of various experimental samples and detectors, simple and safe handling of fuel, etc. A detailed description of the VR-1 reactor can be found at reaktor-vr1.cz/cz/reaktor/popis
Subcritical reactor VR-2
The VR-2 subcritical reactor, i.e. a reactor that needs an external source of neutrons to maintain the fission chain reaction, is the second fission nuclear reactor of CTU. The VR-2 reactor was put into operation in June 2023. The design of the VR-2 light water reactor with low-enriched uranium fuel allows changes in the geometry and spacing of the fuel rods in the reactor core, the use of various external neutron sources (e.g. D-D generator or Am-Be neutron source ) and also a change in the level and temperature of the moderator. In the reactor, the effective multiplication coefficient can reach a value of up to 0.97. The description of the VR-2 reactor is given at reaktor reaktor-vr1.cz/cz/reaktor/reaktor-vr-2
Laboratory of neutron activation analysis
The laboratory is intended for conducting research and teaching experiments using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The laboratory is equipped with three stationary gamma-spectrometric systems with HPGe semiconductor detectors and one portable gamma-spectrometric system. The laboratory is used for research in various nuclear disciplines, as well as in multidisciplinary research in cooperation with experts from natural sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Neutron Interactions Laboratory (Neutron Laboratory)
The laboratory is intended for carrying out research and teaching activities in the field of detection of nuclear materials and sources of ionizing radiation. The laboratory is equipped with detection lines for the detection of all types of ionizing radiation, their evaluation and interpretation of measurement results. Detectors are placed in shielding with a low background, allowing trace activity to be identified. In the laboratory, among other things, two neutron generators (one D-D type and the other D-T type) are used as a precisely defined source of neutrons for the calibration of detectors.
Laboratory of security of nuclear facilities
The laboratory of security of nuclear facilities is intended for teaching and research in the field of physical protection of nuclear facilities. The laboratory is equipped with various types of detection and delay elements, including switchboards, a camera system and several types of entry and exit identification systems for people, including biometrics. In addition to the hardware components of the physical protection system, the laboratory is also equipped with specialized HYPO software equipment, which enables the design of physical protection systems for a hypothetical nuclear facility and the evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of these designs.
Internet Reactor Laboratory (IRL laboratory)
The Internet Reactor Laboratory (IRL laboratory) enables remote (on-line) experimental teaching and research from the VR-1 hub. The basis of the IRL laboratory is a system that was developed in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency for broadcasting experimental teaching from the VR-1 reactor to European and African universities whose students do not have the opportunity to come to Prague and complete experimental teaching directly at the reactor. At the time of the Covid-19 pandemic (2020-2021), the laboratory was expanded to include teaching broadcasts from other parts of the research center as well. After that, the laboratory was also used for the first time in research and development, during the development of equipment for neutron imaging on the VR-1 reactor. Currently, the IRL laboratory enables remote experimental teaching and research from most of the experimental components of the research infrastructure.
Laboratory of radiation protection and dosimetry
The laboratory of radiation protection and dosimetry is mainly focused on chemical and thermoluminescence detectors intended for the characterization of ionizing radiation fields and for radiation monitoring of people. The Spectroscopic X-ray Laboratory specializes in non-destructive analysis of materials based on the study of the emission and detection of characteristic X-ray radiation, while existing instrumentation is also capable of identifying some nuclear materials. The radiation detection laboratory focuses on the development, testing and practical use of detectors and detection systems for various types of ionizing radiation. The laboratory is run by the Department of Dosimetry and Application of Ionizing Radiation and is located in the building in the Old Town.
Laboratory of Nuclear Reactor Control Systems (I&C Laboratory)
The nuclear reactor control system laboratory (I&C laboratory) is designed for the development and testing of various components of nuclear reactor control systems. The laboratory is equipped with computer systems for various types of hardware and software diagnostics and tests, such as signal and pulse generators, power supplies, highly sensitive multimeters and oscilloscopes.
External neutron sources and neutron detectors
The VR-1 Nuclear Experimental Center allows open access users to use a wide range of neutron sources in their research work, which are usable in various experimental components of the center. The following neutron sources and neutron detectors are currently available:
- Neutron generator type D-D
portable neutron generator P385 from Thermo-Fisher Scientific, which produces fast neutrons with energy 2,4 MeV with yield 7×106 n/s - Neutron generator type D-T
portable neutron generator MP320 from Thermo-Fisher Scientific, which produces fast neutrons with energy 14 MeV with yield 1×108 n/s - Californium neutron source
Neutron source 252 Cf from Eckert & Zieg|er Cesio, which produces fast neutrons with energy 2,14 MeV with yield 4×107 n/s (k datu 07/2019) - Americium based neutron sources
three neutron sources type Am-Be, which produce fast neutrons with yield 2×105 n/s up to 1×107 - Neutron detectors
Users have at their disposal more than 70 different neutron detectors of various types, e.g. boron detectors B-10 and BF-3, helium detectors He-3 or fission chambers
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