Forschungsreaktor 2 (FR2)

F1

Building of the former research reactor 2

The research reactor 2 ( FR 2 ) was a research reactor, which was operated from 1961 to 1981 at the Nuclear Research Center Karlsruhe (now Karlsruhe Institute of Technology ). He was the first reactor in the Federal Republic of Germany, which was built according to its own concept and its own responsibility. With a capacity of 44 MW, it is still the most powerful research reactor ever built in Germany.

History

After the Second World War, the Federal Republic of Germany received only by the Germany Treaty in 1955, the sovereignty and thus the opportunity to own reactor research. Immediately after conclusion of the contract, the plans for the research reactor FR 2 under the direction of Karl Wirtz and in collaboration with Rudolf Schulten were taken. The construction of the research reactor was started on 1 February 1957, the reactor finally reached on March 7, 1961 its first criticality. After some delay could be added and the reactor was then science as a research tool available on 12 December 1962, the power operation.

The research reactor 2 was the first of six nuclear plants at the Nuclear Research Centre Karlsruhe. Two years later the fast - Thermal Argonaut reactor, five years later the multi-purpose research reactor, the Fast zero-energy arrangement and a Siemens reactor teaching and ten years later, finally, the nuclear power plant KNK.

After more than 20 years of operating time with minimal disruption to the research reactor on 21 December 1981 off. The license for decommissioning was issued July 3, 1986, the safe enclosure of the reactor could be completed ten years later, on 20 November 1996. The cost for the decommissioning of the reactor amounted to 130 million German marks.

After completion of the project a permanent exhibition on the topic has been established " research and development work at the Nuclear Research Center / Research Center Karlsruhe for safe and environmentally sound use of nuclear energy " in the reactor hall.

Reactor data

The research reactor FR 2 was initially a natural uranium reactor and a power of 12 MW and a maximum thermal neutron flux of 9 × 1012 n/cm2 s designed. Mid-1966 has the capacity to 44 MW and the neutron flux at 7 × 1014 n/cm2 s be increased by changing the fuel elements and other design measures. The tank-type reactor used in the sequence to 2 percent enriched UO2 fuel. It was moderated with heavy water and cooled.

Research

The reactor core was used as a neutron source only for scientific purposes. At the forefront of the use of neutron-physical basic research as well as jet experiments were done for nuclear solid state physics and structural analysis in atomic physics. Furthermore, the reactor was first used for the production of radioisotopes for diagnosis and therapy in nuclear medicine.