WR-1

WR-1 is a type of nuclear reactor designed and built in Canada. It is a type of Organic-cooled reactor, which uses organic substances as a coolant instead of water or heavy water. The WR-1, which stands for Whiteshell Reactor #1, was operational from 1965 to 1985 and was located at the Whiteshell Laboratories in Manitoba, Canada.

Design and Operation

The WR-1 was a 60 MWt reactor that used organic coolant, specifically a mixture of terphenyls, which are aromatic hydrocarbons. This type of coolant has a high boiling point and excellent heat transfer properties, making it suitable for use in a nuclear reactor. The reactor used natural uranium as fuel, and the fuel was arranged in a lattice within a calandria, similar to the design of a CANDU reactor.

The WR-1 was unique in that it was designed to be a flexible research tool. It could be operated in a variety of modes, including as a thermal reactor or a fast reactor, and it could be refueled while operating. This flexibility made it a valuable tool for research into reactor physics and engineering.

Decommissioning

The WR-1 was shut down in 1985, and the decommissioning process began in 1997. The decommissioning process involved the removal of fuel and other radioactive materials, the dismantling of the reactor structure, and the decontamination of the site. The decommissioning process was completed in 2010.

Legacy

The WR-1 was a significant part of Canada's nuclear research program. It contributed to the development of the CANDU reactor design and provided valuable data on the use of organic coolants in nuclear reactors. Today, the site of the WR-1 is used for other research activities by the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.

See also

• Nuclear power in Canada
• List of nuclear reactors
• Nuclear decommissioning