ILE DE FRANCE-GRANDE COURONNE CENTRE DE SACLAY III. REACTORS AND CRITICAL ASSEMBLIES PERMANENTLY SHUT DOWN The reactors and critical assemblies definitively shut down include Aquilon I/II (1956-?), a critical model with heavy water and natural uranium; Peggy (1961-1975; moved to Cadarache shortly after startup), a critical model of Pégase; Alizé I/II (1959-?), a pile for studies in propulsion, which since 1960 could use plates of highly enriched uranium; also the following three reactors: EL2 (Eau lourde 2, Heavy water 2)-shut down Purpose : research and production of radioelementsPeriod of operation : 1952-1965Power : 2.8 MWth maximumFuel : natural uranium (metal), 3.3 t in 1957Moderator : heavy water (6 t, from Norway)Coolant : CO2Activities : EL2 furnished a little less than 300 g of plutonium for the startup of ProserpineDismantling : dismantled to level 2 and confinedPurpose: research on the action of neutrons on matter and the production of radioelementsPeriod of operation : 1957-1979EL3 (Eau lourde 3, Heavy water 3)-shut down Purpose: research on the action of neutrons on mater and the production of radioelementsPeriod of operation: 1957-1979 Power : up to 18 MW thermalFuel : originally UO2 with lightly enriched uranium; then, a fuel with uranium enriched to 93%Moderator/coolant : heavy water (4.1 t bought in the United States)Dismantling: dismantling to level 2 completed in 1987; since 1989 a stock of tritiated heavy water (12,200 l with 137 TBq as of March 1996) has been stored in the reactor building; seven drums of heavy water representing 545 TBq were removed between January 1995 and March 1996.Ulysse (INB 18) -shut down Purpose/type : argonaut type reactor used for training and practical tasksPeriod of operation : 1961-2007Power : 100 kW thermalFuel : uranium enriched between 20 and 90%Moderator/refrigerant : light water
The reactor definitively ceased operation in February 2007. Its instructional work was transferred to Isis [ASN 07]. Its fuel was unloaded and placed in the pool. The fuel was to be shipped to La Hague in 2008 [CEASac 07].
Proserpine-shut down Purpose/type : the CEA’s first pile with plutonium; homogeneous pile (fissile material and moderator mixed) for the study of critical masses of solution of plutonium, then of uranium 235.Period of operation: since 1958Power : 0.001 kW thermalFuel : plutonium sulfate or uranyl 235 sulfate in solution; the CEA used plutonium from EL2; uranyl sulfate was furnished by the United StatesModerator : beryllium oxide
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