FiR 1 Research Reactor

Draft: Finland's first nuclear reactor, went critical 27.3.1962. Administrated by VTT (The technical reseach centre of the finnish state) since 1972, before that by TKK (Polytechnical university of Helsinki). Does not produce electricity. Used for research and education, part of which has been instrumental in the development of the finnish nuclear industry. It is also used for isotope production, and at least in the 1970's "service analyses connected with ore prospecting have been offered to companies", which possibly indicates uranium prospecting. Since the 1980's, the reactor has also been used for medical research and production of radiopharmaceutical drugs, and in the 1990's the reactor was, as the first reactor in the world, adapted to function as an epithermal neutron radiation station for treating brain tumors. The treatment method, BNCT (Boron neutron capture therapy), was developed in cooperation with HYKS (Helsinki University Central Hospital), and works by exposing the patient to a thin beam of neutron radiation, which reacts with a substance ingested by the patient which concentrates in the cancer cells. This reaction makes the cancer cells produce internal radiation, which kills them without harming the surrounding cells. In the 2000's, treatment was extended from brain tumours to head and neck cancer as well. The first results of the clinical research programme on BNCT were published in August 2007.

BNCT treatments as well as BNCT teaching and research activities are the most important motive to keep up the reactor. The production of industrial isotopes is significant nationally. The Technical University of Helsinki and the Technical University of Lappeenranta use the FiR 1 reactor in teaching of nuclear technique. It is also used for nuclear safety teaching in Finland, Sweden and of IAEA.

Sources:

RRFM 2009 22 -25 March 2009, Vienna, Austria. p. 412: CURRENT UTILIZATION AND LONG TERM STRATEGY OF THE FINNISH TRIGA RESEARCH REACTOR FIR 1 http://www.euronuclear.org/meetings/rrfm2009/transactions/rrfm09-transactions.pdf

data (in finnish): http://www.stuk.fi/ydinturvallisuus/ydinvoimalaitokset/tutkimusreaktorit/fi_FI/fir1/

in finnish: Research reactor on wikipedia: http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutkimusreaktori info about the BNCT treatment and the history of the reactor on VTT's pages: http://www.vtt.fi/uutta/2007/BNCT-hoitoasema.jsp

Info about research reactors in general, and FIR 1's reactor type (TRIGA): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRIGA UIC Nuclear Issues Briefing Paper # 66: http://www.tbc.school.nz/elearning/localsites/uic/nip66.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_reactor

Illustration of BNCT treatment: http:// www.vtt.fi/kuvat/uutta/BNCT-hoitoasema . JPG

Photo of a TRIGA reactor core (probably taken in the USA): http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TrigaReactorCore . jpeg