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278:(ANL). A directive was issued to ANL to proceed with the MTR project in November 1948. Concerns were raised by the AEC Safeguard Committee regarding potential large fission product release due to the reactor's high power with respect to a proposed site at ANL, and so the reactor site was moved to the new Reactor Testing Station near Arco, Idaho.
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with 6-inch diameter were placed directly adjacent to the active core. Primarily, materials were places in the beam hole tips for irradiation testing, but these facilities could also be used as neutron beam sources. The HB-6 horizontal beam hole was equipped with a
349:
balls, and then block graphite. The graphite served to thermalize and reflect neutrons back into the core and to contain thermalized neutrons in a zone large enough to allow the placement of numerous experimental facilities. A thermal shield made of
454:
composed of a 6 ft square column of graphite extending from the outer face to the biological shield to the outer face of the outer thermal shield plate had many holes with lower neutron and gamma radiation levels than the interior positions.
385:
About 25% of the uranium in each assembly was consumed before needing removal. Assemblies were cut in the reactor canal using an underwater saw in preparation for transport to the chemical separation process to reclaim the unused uranium.
285:
was engaged in
February 1950 as the construction contractor. Ground was broken for the MTR in May 1950, and construction was completed in February 1952. The first experimental tests were inserted in the reactor on August 2, 1952.
334:
in aluminum. Eighteen plates of fuel were constructed into fuel assemblies. The core ran with between 21 and 23 assemblies. The reactor was cooled and moderated with water pumped through the fuel elements.
739:
Fields, Paul R. (1969). Barker, James J. (ed.). Discovery and history of Cf. US Atomic Energy
Commission Division of Technical Information (Report). Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI).
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was designed to be located on the west side of the reactor for studying reactor shielding materials but was filled with high density concrete due to construction economy considerations.
462:
device capable of inserting and removing small samples into and out of the reactor was located in an extension of the main canal below the reactor. The system had 4 tubes. A similar
231:
specifically designed to facilitate the conception and the design of future reactors. It produced much of the foundational irradiation data that underlies the
765:
Buck, J.H.; Leyse, C.F., eds. (1951-05-01). Materials
Testing Reactor Project Handbook (Report). Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI).
271:
434:. A crystal spectrometer, a neutron velocity selector, a cold neutron facility, and other equipment was used with the horizontal beam holes.
86:
240:
73:
270:
A full-scale mock-up of the reactor at Oak Ridge called the Low-Intensity Test
Reactor was built to verify the design, but the
379:
The reactor, the control room, the experimental facilities, and a fuel management canal were enclosed in a reactor building
394:
252:
711:"The Idaho National Environmental and Engineering Laboratory A Historical Context and Assessment Narrative and Inventory"
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496:
275:
256:
294:
804:
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609:"Fundamentals in the Operation of Nuclear Test Reactors, Volume II Materials Testing Reactor Design and Operation"
819:
20:
310:
302:
281:
The Blaw-Knox
Company was selected as the architect-engineer in July 1949 to complete the engineering design.
491:
Once operational, the MTR was constantly in high demand. It tested different candidate fuel forms for the US
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514:
331:
35:
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were positioned vertically in the graphite reflector to position samples in thermal neutron fields.
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510:
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666:"Supplementary Report to the Atomic Energy Commission Hazards of the Materials Testing Reactor"
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Irradiation positions directly adjacent to the fuel assemblies were available through the
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The neutron flux was about 2e14 thermal (in the reflector) and 1e14 fast (E > 1 MeV).
228:
274:
announced on
December 27, 1947, that all reactor development would be centralized at the
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facility driven by compressed air provided rabbit services to the beryllium reflector.
402:
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per day, which was exhausted through the 250-ft stack located downwind of the reactor.
255:), originally for the production of fission products. The concept evolved from a 50-kW
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provided space for additional removable material samples to be placed near the core.
264:
232:
40:
Early reactor that provided foundational information supporting the nuclear industry
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710:
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260:
473:. Material placed in these positions was cooled by the primary water coolant.
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88:
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Many of the experimental facilities built into the
Materials Testing Reactor
339:
16:
Early nuclear reactor that provided essential research for future reactors
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327:
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The design evolution for MTR began in 1944 at
Clinton Laboratories (now
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The high flux of MTR was ideal for generating significant amounts of
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A wide variety of experimental facilities were included in the MTR.
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weapons plant, and for prototype power reactors under development.
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held in an aluminum tank. Outside the tank was a space filled with
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By 1970, MTR had performed over 15,000 irradiation experiments.
263:-cooled and moderated core, and then again at the suggestion of
517:. MTR generated 30 micrograms of Cf-252 between 1952 and 1958.
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The graphite was cooled with forced air flow. This air became
641:
298:
Pictorial cross section of the
Materials Testing Reactor Tank
805:
Contractor's work brief for the materials testing reactor
642:"Materials Testing Reactor (MTR) Demolition (Time-Lapse)"
243:
from 1952 to 1970 and was fully decommissioned in 2011.
529:, a research reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory
430:
for velocity selection needed during measurements of
785:
Materials Test
Reactor Category on Wikimedia Commons
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The fuel assembly from the Materials Testing Reactor
267:to a 30 MW light-water-cooled and moderated core.
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718:U.S. Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office
664:McLain, Stuart; Winkleblack, R. K. (1950-06-15).
406:A view of the MTR core from the top of the tank
189:Power reactor research, radioisotope production
19:Not to be confused with the generic class of
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354:surrounded the graphite, and a 9-foot thick
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368:by the neutrons and included about 1500
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556:"The Materials Testing Reactor Design"
25:
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314:The cooling circuits used in the MTR
795:The MTR—Gone now, but not forgotten
709:Arrowrock Group Inc. (1997-09-26).
118:Main parameters of the reactor core
14:
780:Library of Congress photos of MTR
322:core made of metallic plate-type
247:Design and administrative history
146:Neutron energy spectrum
493:nuclear naval propulsion program
241:National Reactor Testing Station
155:Primary control method
74:National Reactor Testing Station
29:Materials Testing Reactor (MTR)
790:AEC Reactor Development photos
1:
607:Nertney, R. J. (1963-10-01).
560:Idaho Operations Office USAEC
554:Huffman, J. R. (1953-10-01).
338:The core was surrounded by a
253:Oak Ridge National Laboratory
670:Argonne National Laboratory
276:Argonne National Laboratory
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213:Phillips Petroleum Company
18:
471:Active Lattice Facilities
235:industry. It operated in
221:Materials Testing Reactor
33:
21:Materials testing reactor
499:, reactors at the AEC's
487:Contributions and legacy
272:Atomic Energy Commission
478:Bulk Shielding Facility
452:Thermal Column Facility
445:Vertical Graphite Holes
390:Experimental facilities
320:highly enriched uranium
497:nuclear-powered bomber
432:nuclear cross sections
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102:43.58611°N 112.96278°W
527:Advanced Test Reactor
423:Horizontal Beam Holes
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720:(INEEL/EXT–97–01021)
107:43.58611; -112.96278
257:homogeneous reactor
98: /
57:Light water reactor
613:Reactor Technology
513:nuclides, such as
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318:The reactor had a
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202:Criticality (date)
562:(IDO-16121-PPC).
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359:biological shield
343:neutron reflector
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164:Primary moderator
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515:Californium-252
495:, the proposed
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439:Down Beam Holes
428:neutron chopper
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229:nuclear reactor
227:) was an early
205:March 31, 1952
194:Power (thermal)
173:Primary coolant
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724:28 December
691:28 December
626:28 December
573:28 December
290:The reactor
261:heavy-water
186:Primary use
168:Light water
140:U-Al plates
105: /
93:112°57′46″W
81:Coordinates
534:References
137:Fuel state
90:43°35′10″N
46:Generation
366:activated
340:beryllium
814:Category
686:12469263
521:See also
374:Argon-41
356:concrete
347:graphite
328:aluminum
70:Location
324:uranium
239:at the
158:Cadmium
150:Thermal
76:, Idaho
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197:40 MWt
124:Fuel (
62:Status
714:(PDF)
352:steel
330:fuel
283:Fluor
259:to a
237:Idaho
176:Water
726:2020
693:2020
682:OSTI
628:2020
575:2020
437:Six
421:Six
332:clad
219:The
767:doi
742:doi
674:doi
617:doi
564:doi
372:of
225:MTR
816::
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450:A
370:Ci
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49:1
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