S. Korea completes upgrade on research reactor

DAEJEON, Jan. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has effectively completed work to upgrade its 30 megawatt nuclear reactor into one of the most versatile and capble reactors in the world, a state-run atomic energy institute said Monday.

 The Daejeon-based Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), located 160 kilometers south of Seoul, said its High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor (HANARO) unit has been transformed to produce "cold neutrons" and incorporate a fuel test loop (FTL) system.

"The ability to produce cold neutrons and have an FTL system makes HANARO a truly multipurpose reactor," a KAERI press release said. It added that the single unit can now carry out all the tasks of a research reactor.

A research reactor does not generate power, but produces isotopes for medical and industrial purposes and is used to conduct various scientific and engineering studies. It can also be used to train expert personnel.

 KAERI said construction of facilities to make cold neutrons began in 2003 and cost around 60.0 billion won (US$52.3 million), while 24.0 billion won was used for the FTL system from 2001.

 Cold neutrons have low energy levels and long wavelengths, making them ideal for various research into nano and biological structures.

This capability can translate into the production of next-generation electronic parts, computer chips, displays and nano-materials. It can also be employed to develop treatment materials for incurable diseases and spur convergence between the nanotech, biotech and information technology areas.

Cold neutrons are produced by rapidly cooling the thermal neutrons made by the reactor with liquid hydrogen and sending them through a "neutron guide" pipe to a Cold Neutron Research Facility.

The atomic research institute said it is building seven "neutron scattering facilities" in the coming months that can allow the neutrons to be used in experiments.

 It added that the quality of the cold neutrons, measured by "neutron flux" is the third-highest in the world after those made by Frane's ILL and Germany's FRM-2 reactors.

 The institute said the FTL system will give the country the ability to fully test future nuclear fuel material without relying on outside help.

 All newly developed nuclear fuel must be checked thoroughly for safety. South Korea, which did not have this capability in the past, had to send such materials abroad, which delayed production and raised costs. It exports local technology used to make the fuel to agencies overseas.

KAERI insiders, meanwhile said the latest capabilities make HANARO unique and could boost the country';s overall competitiveness in the global research reactor market, where many developing countries are trying to build research reactors of their own.

"Such countries may not all have a lot of money, so they want to have multipurpose capabilities in one or two reactors they can afford," a researcher who declined to be identified said. A basic reactor that can make radioactive isotopes costsaround 200 billion won, although some more advanced units cost up to 1 trillion won. Argentina is a major exporter of research reactors, with France, Russia and China also selling units abroad.

 South Korea is set to win a deal to build a 5 megawatt research reactor in Jordan by 2014 and said it wants to place itself in a good position to win more orders, as up to 50 new orders may be placed by 40 countries in the next 15 years. There are currently about 240 research reactors in the world.

 The country started using the "open-tank" HANARO in 1995 and has acquired all the technology to build similar reactors without outside help.

yonngong@yna.co.kr