International Conference on Research Reactors:
Safe Management and Effective Utilization

14-18 November 2011, Rabat, Morocco

Kamini (KAlpakkam MINI) Reactor located at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakam, India is a U-233 fuelled, low power research reactor and functions as a neutron source facility with a flux of 8.0×10¹² cm^-2s^-1 at the core center. Kamini belongs to the MTR (Material Testing Reactor) type of reactors and employs Beryllium Oxide (BeO) canned in Zircoloy-2 as reflector material and plate type fuel in a reactor tank. Demineralised light water is used as moderator, biological shield and coolant. The core is cooled by natural convection of reactor tank water. Cadmium is used as the absorbing material in the safety control plates (SCP) provided for power control and shut down. This paper details the design description, facilities available for experiments and their utilization for R&D, fifteen years of operating experience of Kamini which is the only operating reactor using U-233, the recent water activity problem and the improvements made in the user facilities for meeting additional requirements.

Top