The High Flux Isotope
Reactor (HFIR) – Past,
Present, and Future
Presented to the
IGORR
Kelly Beierschmitt
Executive Director, High Flux Isotope Reactor
Director, Nuclear Operations
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
October 29, 2009
The need for HFIR was expressed by
Glenn Seaborg in 1957
“The field of new transuranium elements is entering an era where the participating
scientists in this country cannot go much further without some unified national
effort… The future progress in this area depends on substantial weighable
quantities (say milligrams) of berkelium, californium, and einsteinium…”
G. T. Seaborg
Berkeley, October 24, 1957
100
Fm 254
Fm
Fm 255
Fm 256
SF
99
98
Cf 249
Cf
Es 253
Es
, -, EC
Cf 250
, (n,f)
97
96
Cm
Cm 242
Cm 243
Cm 244
, (n,f)
95
94
Pu
Pu 238
Am
Pu 239
, (n,f)
Z
2
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
93
Np
N
Np 237
Am 241
Am 242
Pu 241
-, (n,f)
Np 238
Isotope Production at ORNL
Cm 245
Cm 246
, (n,f)
Am 243
Am 244
-
-, EC
Pu 240
Bk 249
Bk
Pu 242
Pu 243
-
Am 245
Pu 244
Cm 247
Cm 248
, (n,f)
, SF
Am 246
Pu 245
-
Es 254
Pu 246
-
Cf 251
Cf 252
, (n,f)
,, SF
Bk 250
Bk 251
Cm 249
-
Cm 250
SF
Cf 253
-, (n,f)
Es 255
Cf 254
SF
Fm 257
The US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
recommended HFIR construction in 1958
The HFIR design proposed by ORNL was
accepted in 1959 and construction began in 1961
3
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
Initial criticality – August 25, 1965
Full power (100MW) – September 1966
5.5 x 1015 neutrons/cm2/second
in the flux trap at 100 MW
4
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
HFIR is a compact high-performance
flux trap reactor
• Light water moderated and cooled
• Beryllium reflected
• Flux trap: 5 inch diameter
• Fuel: AL clad U3O8 plates
– 9.4 Kg 235U
– Active fuel length: 20 inches
• Reactivity Control
– Concentric cylinders of EuO
• Pressure vessel
– Carbon steel with stainless steel
5
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
The Radiochemical Engineering
Development Facility (REDC)
Built adjacent to HFIR, REDC completed Seaborg’s vision
Previously available only in microscopic quantities, the
milligrams of heavy elements produced at HFIR proved valuable for
research
REDC, originally named the Transuranium
Processing Plant (TRU), began operations
in 1966
6
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
REDC performs all transuranium
target fabrication and processing
• Heavily shielded hot cells
– Dedicated to pellet production
and target fabrication
– Chemical processing
– Sample analysis
– Waste handling
• Shielded caves and glovebox
labs for product purification
and R&D
• Radiochemical analytical labs
7
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
HFIR/REDC continues to supply ~70%
of 252Cf worldwide
• Applications
–
–
–
–
–
–
8
National security
Homeland security
Energy security
Civil infrastructure
Human health
Education
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
The HFIR design is also very versatile
supporting many other missions
• 67 total irradiation positions
–
–
–
–
–
Medical & industrial isotopes
Materials irradiation studies
Fuel irradiation studies
Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA)
Neutron scattering
Hydraulic Rabbit Facility for medical
and industrial isotopes
Spent fuel is used for gamma
irradiation experiments
9
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
HFIR has supported neutron scattering
science throughout its operation
ORNL Director, Alvin Weinberg, had the foresight to insist that HFIR include neutrons
scattering facilities based on the seminal work of Clifford Shull
Cliff Schull & Ernie Wollan at
the Graphite Reactor in 1949
A triple-axis spectrometer on one of HFIR‘s
four neutron beams
Scientists work on the original
HFIR Small Angle Neutron
Scattering instrument
10
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
HFIR has two complimentary world-class
Neutron Activation Analyses facilities
HFIR NAA has been used to solve numerous science and practical
problems – environment, nuclear forensics, geology, biology…
• Pneumatic Tube 1 (PT-1)
– 2.8 x 1014 neutrons/(cm²·s)
with a thermal/epithermal
ratio of 40
• Pneumatic Tube 2 (PT-2)
– 5.9 x 1013 neutrons/(cm²·s)
with a thermal/epithermal
ratio of 200
• PT-2 has a special
delayed neutron
counter (DNC) for
fissile nuclide analysis
11
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
HFIR became recognized for its materials
and fuels irradiation capabilities
Reactor internal modifications were made in the 1986
to enhance materials and fuels irradiations
Larger capsule volume
Gas cooling and temperature control
On-line capsule instrumentation
Modified reactor
components
Materials Irradiation
Facility Control Room
12
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
Reactor being
assembled with new
components
HFIR’s broad neutron spectrum can
explore the behavior of fast reactor fuels
and fusion reactor materials
Capsules covered by a Eu2O3 shield lead to a dramatic reduction in
the thermal flux without significantly changing the fast flux
1.6
Flux/lethargy (arb. units)
1.4
Reference HFIR Spectrum
1.2
Fuel pin with Eu2O3 shield
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
1.E-09
1.E-07
1.E-05
Neutron Energy (MeV)
 Fast/thermal ratio is about 375
 Centerline temperatures can be very high – 2,000ºC
13
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
1.E-03
Isotope Production at ORNL
1.E-01
1.E+01
An upgrade in 2000 made HFIR neutron
scattering facilities world-class
Facility infrastructure improvements were made to support
HFIR operation through 2040
• Neutrons on-target up by
300% for thermal neutron
triple-axis spectrometers
Reactor components
upgraded for better
neutron beams
• More neutron scattering
instrument stations
• Provided for the installation
of a cold neutron source
New cooling tower
14
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
The HFIR Cold Source began operation
in 2007
Measured to be the brightest reactor-based cold source in the world
Gain factors of 10 to 20 at neutron wavelengths from 4 to 12 Å
15
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
Thermal and cold neutron scattering instruments
at HFIR are at the forefront of science
Using SANS to understand polyglutamine
aggregation in Huntington’s disease
Fit
Fit to
to long-cylinder
long-cylinder form
form factor
factor without
without smearing
smearing
Radius
Radius 47.109
47.109  1.0056
1.0056 ÅÅ
Length
Length 5166.3
5166.3  11195
11195 ÅÅ
Fibril-fibril
Fibril-fibril interactions
interactions
at
at lower
lower QQ
0.1
Polyglutamine fibrils:
TEM image
0.01
80
0.4
E=100 meV
T=10 K
X=0.11
60
E(meV)
1(q)(CM-1)
1
Measuring lattice excitations in a new iron arsenide
high Tc superconductor
0.3
40
0.2
20
0.1
0.001
0.01
Q(Å-1)
0
0.1
 Experiments on polyglutamine fibrils
performed using BioSANS instrument at HFIR
 Results to be submitted to PNAS
Chris Stanley, Shull Fellow, ORNL, and Valerie Berthelier,
Graduate School of Medicine, UT Medical Center
16
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
0
2
4
6
Q(Å-1)
8
10
0
 First new high-temperature superconductor
in ~20 years
 Results inconsistent with conventional
superconductivity
A. D. Christianson and M.D. Lumsden at ORNL, CalTech, ISIS, Ames Lab,
and Argonne collaborators, PRL (accepted for publication)
Isotope Production at ORNL
Upgrades to the HFIR infrastructure are
extending its availability through 2040
17
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
Continued investments in scientific
capabilities ensures HFIR remains a
world-class facility
New world‐class neutron scattering instruments continue to be added on existing HFIR neutron beams
18
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
A second cold source and neutron scattering guide hall are proposed
There is resurgent interest in the US
isotope program
• DOE’s Office of Nuclear Physics
(DOE-NP) has demonstrated
committed leadership
– Hosted a workshop to gather stakeholder
input
– Established Nuclear Science Advisory
Committee (NSAC) Isotope Subcommittee
– Established the National Isotope Data Center
• HFIR remains an important isotope
production and research facility
19
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
It’s time to begin planning the next
generation reactor to succeed HFIR
HFIR staff are working to upgrade its infrastructure to support operations through
2040 if needed – Now is the time to begin a new generation of reactors to carry on
its missions before HFIR is gone
20
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Isotope Production at ORNL
HFIR has served well and is poised to
continue serving until the next generation
of reactors arrive
"If at some time a
heavenly angel should
ask what the laboratory
in East Tennessee did
to enlarge man's life
and make it better, I
daresay the production
of radioisotopes for
scientific research and
medical treatment will
surely rate as a
candidate for the very
first place."
21
Managed by UT-Battelle
for the U.S. Department of Energy
Alvin Weinberg
Former ORNL Director
Isotope Production at ORNL