Dismantlement of the TRIGA reactor on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus is well underway, with completion expected this summer.
Rich Holm, Reactor Administrator and a member of the university’s Reactor Safety Committee, has been recording the work’s progress with photos and a week-to-week summary.
Photos are available for viewing on the NPRE Facebook page. Here is an abbreviated account of the project from November 2011 through January 2012.
- Removed interference from the bioshield
To view photos of the TRIGA dismantlement, go to NPRE's Facebook page. - Review of Bioshield Concrete Cutting Work Plan and Reactor Component Removal Work Plan
- Installed beam port plugs
- Removed secondary cooling system piping
- Pumped down tank to below middle level
- Activated graphite loaded in B-25; miscellaneous items loaded in B25 and C-Land.
- SeaLand and two B-25 containers shipped.
- Cut the edge on site – track saw cutting of the upper bioshield cantilever pieces
- Drilled holes in the bioshield in preparation for wire sawing
- Cut the edge on site – wire sawing of the upper portion of bioshield and Bulk Shielding Tank
- Completed all upper bioshield vertical cuts; first and second horizontal cuts completed
- Surveyed and removed concrete block from the building
- Lazy Susan removed from the core and placed in temporary storage in the southeast corner of the bay.
- Removed graphite from both thermal columns
- Pumped down reactor tank water
- Consolidated activated materials for shipping.
- BROKK operations for removal of activated materials.
- Consolidation of activated materials for shipping
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspection Jan. 31-Feb. 2.
The main components of the reactor core were dismantled with the fuel removal in 2004. The current $4 million project involves dismantling remaining portions of the reactor, and tearing down the Nuclear Reactor Building on the campus’ east side.
The reactor operated for 38 years before it was shut down in 1998. It went critical on August 16, 1960, and was used by many departments on campus as an interdisciplinary teaching and research facility.