Dhruva reactor: Difference between revisions

The '''Dhruva reactor''' is [[India]]'s largest nuclear [[research reactor]]. It was the first nuclear reactor in Asia proper.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Office of Scientific Intelligence |author-link=Office of Scientific Intelligence |title=Indian Nuclear Energy Program |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu//NSAEBB/NSAEBB187/IN01.pdf |website=[[National Security Archive]] |publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] |accessdate=7 June 2020 |date=26 March 1958}}</ref> Located in the [[Mumbai]] suburb of [[Trombay]] at the [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre]] (BARC), it is India's primary generator of weapons-grade [[plutonium]]-bearing spent fuel for its [[nuclear weapon]]s program. Originally named the R-5, this [[open pool reactor]] first went [[Criticality (status)|critical]] on 8 August 1985 after 10 years of construction. However, the unit did not attain full power until 1988.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cns.miis.edu/research/india/nuclear.htm|title= Selected Indian Nuclear Facilities|author=Andrew Koch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011215135620/http://cns.miis.edu/research/india/nuclear.htm|archive-date=15 December 2001|year=1999}}</ref> The reactor experienced at least one serious accident when 4MT (four metric tons) of heavy water overflowed from the reactor core in 1985 following vibration problems.<ref name="NTI">{{cite web|title=Dhruva Research Reactor|url=http://www.nti.org/learn/facilities/837/|website=Nuclear Threat Initiative|accessdate=21 May 2017}}</ref>

Designed as a larger version of the [[CIRUS reactor]], Dhruva was an Indian designed project built to provide an independent source of weapons-grade plutonium free from safeguards.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Menon|first1=Amarnath K|title=Indian scientists achieve major landmark in atomic energy programme with Dhruva|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-scientists-achieve-major-landmark-in-atomic-energy-programme-with-dhruva/1/354434.html|accessdate=21 May 2017|work=India Today|date=3 January 2014}}</ref> The Dhruva project cost 950 million rupees. The reactor uses [[heavy water]] (deuterium) as a [[neutron moderator|moderator]] and coolant. Aluminum clad [[fuel rod]]s containing [[natural uranium]] are used to obtain a maximum power output of 100 [[megawatt]]s.<ref name="NTI"/> The reactor can produce {{convert|20|–|25|kg}} of [[weapons-grade plutonium]] per year.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Albright |first1=David |last2=Hibbs |first2=Mark |date=31 August 1992 |title=India's Silent Bomb |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pAwAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27 |magazine=[[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]] }}</ref>