OPAL
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OPAL (Open Pool Australian Lightwater reactor) is a reactor currently being commissioned (as of 2006) at the ANSTO Research Establishment at Lucas Heights, near Sydney, Australia. It will replace the HIFAR reactor when fully commissioned. ANSTO received an operating license from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)in July 2006, allowing commencement of hot commissioning, where fuel is first added to the reactor.
Australia’s replacement nuclear research reactor is in the early stages of commissioning at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), in southern Sydney, and is due to be fully operational in 2007. The OPAL (Open Pool Australian Light-water) reactor will replace the current HIFAR reactor.
OPAL’s core will be located 10 metres under water in an open pool of light water (normal H2O) for cooling. It will use ‘heavy water’ (D2O) to moderate the neutrons produced in the fuel assemblies.
OPAL will become the centrepiece of the facilities at ANSTO, providing more efficient and rapid radiopharmaceutical and radioisotope production, irradiation services and neutron beam research, outperforming the current ANSTO reactor in every aspect. OPAL will be able to produce four times as many radioisotopes for nuclear medicine treatments, and a wider array of radioisotopes for the treatment of disease. The design includes a cold neutron source (CNS) allowing research not possible at the existing facility.
Neutron Diffraction at OPAL
The Bragg Institute at ANSTO hosts OPAL's world-competitive neutron diffraction facility and comprises the following instruments:
- ECHIDNA - High Resolution Powder Diffractometer
- PLATYPUS - Reflectometer
- TAIPAN - Thermal 3-Axis Spectrometer
- KOALA - Quasi Laue Diffractometer
- QUOKKA - Small-Angle Neutron Scattering
- WOMBAT - High Intensity Powder Diffractometer
- KOWARI - Residual-Stress Diffractometer
- PELICAN - Time of Flight Polarisation Analysis Spectrometer
- SIKA - Cold Neutron 3-Axis Spectrometer
External links
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