Nuclear safety: India conducts out-of-pile tests

CHENNAI: India is now conducting out-of-pile tests for the first time to ensure foolproof security of its nuclear reactors, according top scientists of the nation.Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research director SC Chetal told reporters on Saturday that the test is the first of its kind and is being conducted at CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) Taramani in Chennai to ensure the safety of the reactor before going in for in-pile tests at the nuclear site in Kalpakkam.Currently, the Rs 40-crore collaborative project between IGCAR and SERC will test the functionality of full-scale prototype reactor system for Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor during quakes of high intensity through the 30 tonnes shake table, said Dr Nagesh R Iyer, director of SERC.“In Chennai, the expected gravity at acceleration is .0273. But we are testing it by assuming we have a quake six times higher which is roughly .16 gravity at acceleration. This is to make sure we do not miss out any eventuality like that happened in Japan,” said Chetal.Dr P Chellapandi, director of nuclear safety and engineering group, IGCAR, said the facility, about 17.5 metres high, is the biggest in India, and the second highest in the world. But how does the facility work. Chetal says once the quake is being felt, the boron road is inserted into the core to stop the neutrons from mutating and bringing the reactor to a total shutdown in seconds.“The outcome of the experimental study will demonstrate the reliable operation of the reactor shutdown system even under severe earthquakes,” he said.The results of the study have high quality academic data, which will be provided to the academic institutions to theoretically predict the seismic response of the complicated system towards enhancing the confidence on seismic design, said Iyer.