Radiation Releases from the SL-1 Accident

Microstructural analysis of MTR fuel plates damaged by a coolant flow blockage

“…For nuclear power plants the behavior of fuel under accidental conditions is well studied in international projects such as PHEBUS and VERCORS [5][6][7]. In contrast, similar knowledge on the behavior of the fuel under severe transient or accident conditions needed for defining accident scenarios for research reactors is rather scarce [8][9][10][11]. The information for power plants is of limited application to research reactors due to the differences in fuel type, power level and thermo-hydraulic conditions.…”

The key role of sample analysis in Fukushima Dai-Ichi decommissioning, debris management, and accident progression investigation

“…As a result of the accident, approximately 62 tons of fuel assemblies were melted and approximately 20 tons were relocated down from the central part of the core and solidified in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lower head, which was full of water (Broughton et al, 1989). TMI-2 was not the first nuclear reactor accident with a core meltdown; there had been nuclear accidents with core meltdowns, such as at Chalk River Laboratories, in 1952 (Canada) (Lewis, 1953) and the experimental SL-1 reactor accident in 1961 (United States) (Tardiff, 1962;Mendoza et al, 1981). However, the damaged fuel removal from TMI-2 is one of the most successful decommissioning experiences of a damaged large-scale nuclear reactor.…”