CONTROL ROOM
BUILDING
The MITR-II design uses finned plate-type fuel arranged in a hexagonal pattern of rhomboid fuel assemblies. Power is controlled by 6 manual boron-stainless steel blade-type control Rods and one aluminum with cadmium control rod which can be placed on automatic control. Light water flows upwards through the core and a tank of heavy water surrounds the core. A wall of dense concrete that serves as shielding surrounds the tank of heavy water. The maximum coolant temperature is 55 degrees Celsius. The light water and heavy water are cooled through forced circulation through heat exchangers; secondary coolant is cooled in two cooling towers.
The reactor uses highly enriched uranium fuel, in the form of uranium-aluminum cermet with aluminum cladding.
Refueling takes place 3 to 4 times every year. A single refueling consists of rearranging the assemblies in the core or a combination of rearranging and replacement of old assemblies with new ones. This is more frequent than both nuclear power plants, which may go 17 to 23 months between refueling outages when they rearrange the entire core and replace 1/3 to 1/2 of the core, and most research reactors, many of which go decades without refueling due to the high energy density of nuclear fuel and infrequent use at high power levels.
The MITR research program encompasses most aspects of neutron science and engineering including nuclear medicine. Some of activities are: fission engineering, materials testing, training, and Boron neutron capture therapy.