Connection of storage pools

Because there are no drain connections at the bottom of the fuel storage pool, the spent fuel assemblies can never be exposed by an accidental valve opening or pipe break. Fuel is not stored in the upper containment pool during normal operation. A portable underwater vacuum system, similar to that used in swimming pools, can be used to clean pool walls, floors, and internals removed from the reactor vessel. Deposition at the water line of the pool walls is minimized by several surface skimmers. These devices remove a portion of the surface water and recycle it to the pool. 

A basin to store spent fuel assemblies is located near the reactor pool and is connected to the reactor pool via a sluice. The depth of this basin is 5.5 m.The basin liner is made of stainless steel. There are 120 cells in the basin to store fuel assemblies and spare blocks of the reactor s reflector. Each cell is made of the aluminium alloy AD-1, which has a minimum aluminium content of 99.3%. The maximum temperature of the storage basin water is 40°C. The IR-8 research reactor has operated for over 20 years. Its effective capacity is about 60%. 

Storage basin was connected to the reactor pool, where the water was continuously purified using a system consisting of mechanical and ion exchange filters (with mixed bed type resins). 

The reactor tank is a cylindrical vessel of 15 m height and 4.8 m inner diameter, manufactured from stainless steel. The reactor tank wall thickness is 20 mm. Inside the tank a reactor coolant flow guiding structure of 1.6 m diameter is installed, with a lower inlet chamber at the bottom below the core and connections to hot legs at the top. In the upper part of the reactor tank, primary heat-exchangers are installed and fixed on a support frame on which there are also drums for spent fuel storage. Water circulation in the reactor tank is natural without boiling. The reactor tank is installed in a concrete cavity lined with carbon steel, 20 mm in thickness. The inner diameter of the reactor cavity is 5.2 m, and its height is 16 m. The reactor pool is covered by a lid sealed with a hydroseal. 

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