Oregon State University Radiation Center

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The Oregon State University Radiation Center (OSURC) is a research facility that houses a nuclear reactor at Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The Oregon State TRIGA Reactor (OSTR) serves the research needs of the OSU nuclear engineering department along with other departments (notably medical applications).

About 70% of the research projects at the OSU Radiation Center use the reactor.

Contents

[edit] Reactor overview

The reactor core and characteristic Cherenkov radiation
The reactor core and characteristic Cherenkov radiation
The Radiation Center building
The Radiation Center building

The radiation center is located on the west side of the OSU campus, across the street from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offices and about half a mile from Reser Stadium.[1]

The reactor is a Mark II TRIGA reactor with a maximum thermal output of 1.1 MW and can be pulsed up to a power of 3000 MW for a very short time.[2] The fuel is highly-enriched Uranium (HEU) with a possession limit of 13 kg.[1] Operation began in 1967.[1][2]

The reactor supported 96 academic courses in 1999. These courses were in chemistry, civil engineering, chemical engineering, geosciences, oceanography and atmospheric sciences, bioresource engineering, honors college and naval engineering disciplines.[2]

The OSU Radiation center supported 126 projects in 2000 with 69% directly involving use of the OSTR.[2] Contracts supporting these projects in 2000 totaled $3 million.[2]

The mission statement of the center is:

To serve as the campus wide teaching, research, and service facility for programs involving the use of ionizing radiation and radioactive materials.[3]

[edit] Thermal neutron column

There is a large graphite slab that serves the purpose of diffusing neutrons from the reactor which can then be used in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT).[4]

[edit] Radioisotope production

The OSURC has a special gas irradiation facility where the reactor can produce Ar-41 gas and ship it to anywhere within 24 hours.[2]

The OSTR has beamports available with fluxes of 1.8 x 107 to 1.5 x 108 \frac{n}{cm^2*s}.[5]

[edit] Safety

Oregon Department of Energy has coordinated the HAZMAT Radiological Training Courses at the center for HAZMAT response teams throughout the state of Oregon for the last 15 years.[2]

[edit] Forensic analysis

The reactor has also used Neutron activation analysis to help with the forensic analysis in a high profile serial killer case (the I-5 Bandit) and several other cases, [6] including one where a local district attorney used the center's services to help solve a high profile triple homicide case.[2]

[edit] Research

The following are some ongoing projects in conjunction with the reactor:

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/LooseNukes/story?id=988636
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Binney, S.E.; S.R. Reese, and D.S. Pratt (February 22, 2000). University Research Reactors: Contributing to the National Scientific and Engineering Infrastructure from 1953 to 2000 and Beyond. National Organization of Test, Research and Training Reactors. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
  3. ^ http://ne.oregonstate.edu/research/
  4. ^ http://radiationcenter.oregonstate.edu/Irrad%20Facilities/Thermal%20Column.html
  5. ^ http://radiationcenter.oregonstate.edu/Irrad%20Facilities/Beam%20Ports.html
  6. ^ http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/newsarch/1998/Apr98/tv.htm


Oregon State University

Academics

College of Engineering • College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences • College of Science

Athletics

Benny Beaver • Civil War (college football game) • Oregon State Beavers • Football • Current Football Season • Bowl Game History • Wrestling

Buildings and Facilities

Gill Coliseum • Goss Stadium at Coleman Field • OSU Radiation Center • Oregon State University Press • Peavy Arboretum • Reser Stadium • The LaSells Stewart Center • The Valley Library

Culture

Students & Alumni • Faculty & Staff • Civil War (college rivalry) • Hail to Old OSU • KBVR (FM) • The Daily Barometer • Open Source Lab


v • d • e
U.S. NRC Licensed and Operating Nuclear Research Reactors (University based reactors)

Armed Forces Radiobiological Research Institute · Cornell University · Idaho State University · Kansas State University · Massachusetts Institute of Technology · National Institute of Standards and Technology · North Carolina State University · Ohio State University · Oregon State University · Penn State University · Purdue University · Reed College · Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Texas A&M University · University of Arizona · University of California · University of Florida · University of Maryland · University of Massachusetts Lowell · University of Michigan · University of Missouri-Columbia · University of Missouri-Rolla · University of New Mexico · University of Texas at Austin · University of Utah · University of Wisconsin-Madison · Washington State University · Worcester Polytechnic Institute
U.S. Company Operated Research Reactors

Aerotest Operations Inc. · Dow Chemical Company · General Electric Company · Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission · U.S. Geological Survey · U.S. Veterans Administration
U.S. National Labs with Nuclear Research Reactors

Argonne National Laboratory · Brookhaven National Laboratory (All Shut down) · Hanford Site · Idaho National Laboratory · Oak Ridge National Laboratory · Savannah River Site
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