The F-1 (from "First Physical Reactor") is a
research reactor
Research reactors are nuclear fission-based nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or marit ...
operated by the
Kurchatov Institute
The Kurchatov Institute (russian: Национальный исследовательский центр «Курчатовский Институт», 'National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute) is Russia's leading research and developmen ...
in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. When started on December 25, 1946, it became the first
nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat fr ...
in Europe to achieve a self-sustaining
nuclear chain reaction
In nuclear physics, a nuclear chain reaction occurs when one single nuclear reaction causes an average of one or more subsequent nuclear reactions, thus leading to the possibility of a self-propagating series of these reactions. The specific nu ...
.
It was still in operation in the beginning of the 2010s, with a power level of 24
kW, making it, at that time, the world's oldest operating reactor. The fuel in F-1 is metallic uranium with the natural content of the 235 U isotope (0.72%), graphite as a moderator, and cadmium rods to control the neutron flux. Structurally, it is a spherical structure with a diameter of about 6 meters, made of loose graphite bricks. The graphite stack has holes in which fuel and control rods are placed, as well as research and control equipment. The weight of graphite is 400 tons, uranium is 50 tons.
Thermal power of the reactor is from 100 W to 1 MW. Air cooling, if necessary, was provided by fans. Long-term operation at high power was not possible, but the large mass of the core allowed a short-term increase in power to peak values. In November 2016 it was in permanent shutdown state.
See also
*
Chicago Pile-1
References
External links
Research Reactor Details - F-1Nuclear Research Reactors in the World
Two photos of F-1
Nuclear power in Russia
Graphite moderated reactors
Nuclear power stations built in the Soviet Union
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