Protocol No.

1
Kartini Reactor
Operation
Practicum

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PSTA – BATAN, April 2018.
 KARTINI REACTOR OPERATION

I. Purpose of Experiment
 Participants could perform operation checklist including start up check list, power
check list and also shut down check list.
 Participant could know the phenomena of nuclear research reactor operation.

II. Theory

Kartini reaktor is a TRIGA mark II type research reactor that has been operated since
1979 with maximum power of 100 kW. As a research reactor, Kartini reactor are used for
irradiation services/ neutron irradiation, gamma irradiation experiment, training and
education and also research on nuclear technology. For the purpose of services, Kartini
reactor has several irradiation facility such as Lazy Susan (LS) iradiation facility which can
contain 40 samples in a circular position outside the reactor core; Pneumatic transfer system
in F-13 ring; one thermal column and also 4 beamport. At 100kW power, the magnitude of
neutron flux in the LS irradiation facility is 2.5 x 1011 n / cm2 s in averages. In routine
circumtances, Kartini reactor is operated on average for 6 hours in a working day/ hour, but
may also operated for a longer period depend on request. Physical phenomenon that happen
inside reactor core during power operation is fission reaction between neutron and U235 fuel
in such a way that it produce (2 – 3 ) new neutrons, accompanied by an average energy (heat)
180 MeV and also a simultaneous radiation of  ((alpha),  (beta),  (gamma).

Some of the fission reaction processes that occur inside the reactor core can be shown
as follows:

 0n
1
+ 92U235  92U
236*  38Sr94 + 54Xe140 + 2 0n1
235   36Kr94 + 56Ba139 + 3 0n1
 1
0n + 92U 92U
236*

And the reaction between  (gamma) with water moderator (H2O) is :

 0n
1
+ 2 H2O  2 H2O + O2 (gas)
16 
 1
0n + 8O 7N
16
+ 1p1 + n

The TRIGA reactor coolant use a pure water (H2O) with pH ranging between 5,5 – 7
that have function such as a moderator (slowing down) neutron, a shielding of radiation
exposure so that it does not scatter freely in air surface and also to compensate (capture) the
energy/ heat which will be discharged through the circulation of heat exchanger system (HE)
so that the water temperature of reactor tank (ATR) remains low, not exceeding the allowable
limit of 40 oC.

For safe operation of reactor, all systems including measuring device of reactor
parameter and also auxiliary system must be equipped with procedure documents and
operational guidelines as well as regular schedules of calibration and maintenance.
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Dokumen Bidang Reaktor
PSTA – BATAN, April 2018.
 III. Kartini Reactor Operational Procedure
Before reactor is operated at certain power level, 2 operators lead by a supervisor fill
checklist for reactor instrumentation & control and also every parameter of auxiliary system
to make sure all system is works fine.
There are 3 types of reactor operation checlist, those are start up checklist, power
operation checklist, and shutdown checklist.

START UP CHECKLIST

Operator : 2 persons.
Supervisor : 1 person.
Radiation Safety Officer : 1 person
A. Auxiliary system C. Interlock:
- Primary flow : liter/minute  Interlock from control rod:.....
- Secondary flow : liter/minute D. Calibration
- Primary Temperature (HE) :  LCR :
o
- In HE : C  Campbell :
o
- Out HE : C  Period :
- Primary cooler resistance :  Linear Power :
- Demin In : E. Scram test
- Demin Out : Safety Compensating Regulating
- pH ATR : Manual :
- Secondary flow : GPM % Power :
- Blower : ( ) Period :
B. Reaktor HV :
* Reaktor core : F. Conclusion
* Neutron source :
G. Singnature :
* Beamport :
* Beamport : Supervisor
Information:
: Good ( )
X : Not good

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 POWER OPERATION CHECKLIST

Power operation checklist is done while reactor is operating at certain power level. Usually
power operation checklist is done every 1 hour while reactor is operating. This procedure
have to perform to find out every events occured during operation, therefore if any anomaly
happened it will be detected as soon as possible and safety handling operations can be
performed.

POWER OPERATION CHECKLIST

1. Time :
2. Power :
3. Control Rod Position :
Safety Rod Compensating Rod Regulating Rod

% % %

4. RTW Surface Temperature :

5. Primary Temperature
6. Secondary Temperature
7. Primary Flow
8. Secondary Flow
9. Fuel Temperature
10. Radiation Exposure
 Reactor’s deck
 Sub Critic
 Demineralizer
 Thermal Column
 Bulk shielding
 Control Room
o o
: in HE C out HE C
o o
: in HE C out HE C
:
:
o
: C (ring B)
:
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
: mR/hour

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PSTA – BATAN, April 2018.
 SHUTDOWN CHECKLIST

1. Shutdown Time :
2. Power :
3. Control Rod Position :
Safety Rod Compensating Rod Regulating Rod

% % %

4. RTW Surface Temperature :

5. Primary Temperature
6. Secondary Temperature
7. Primary Flow
8. Secondary Flow
9. Fuel Temperature
10. Radiation Exposure
 Reactor’s deck
 Sub Critic
 Demineralizer
 Thermal Column
 Bulk shielding
 Control Room
11. Primary Cooling System off :
10. Power Supply off
11. Core Condition
12. WTR Level
o o
: in HE C out HE C
o o
: in HE C out HE C
:
:
o
: C (ring B)
:
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
: mR/hour
GMT +7
: GMT +7
:
: cm

Supervisor Explanation

Signature,

( )
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PSTA – BATAN, April 2018.
 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION OF KARTINI REACTOR

1. Maximum power 100 kW

2. Minimum period 7 sec

3.% maximum power 110%

40oC

5. Maximum fuel temperature 530oC

6. Primary Debit 76 GPM

7. Secondary Debit 160 GPM

8. Concentration Si, Mg, Ca, Na in ATR < 1 ppm

9. Conductivity ATR 0.2 - 0.5 ohm

10. ATR resistance on demineraliser

 Inlet > 2 M/cm

 Outlet > 6 M/cm
11. MPC instead of ATR < 5 x 10-4 FCi / cc

12. Radioactivity in the reactor chamber < 10-12 Ci / cc

13. Radiation exposure rate

 Upper ATR surface < 100 mR/hour

 Control Room < 2,5 mR/hour
 Reactor Deck <10 mR/hour
 Demineraliser < 25 mR/hour
 Thermal column < 2,5 mR/hour
 Subcritical < 10 mR/hour
 Bulk Shielding < 2,5 mR/hour

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 SCHEDULE OF CALIBRATION AND MAINTENANCE OF KARTINI REACTOR
SYSTEM

COMPONENT TIME
1. Environmental air monitor 1 x each month

2. Analysis of content (Si, Mg, Ca, Na) ATR 1 x each month

3. Visual observation of fuel

a. Direct observation 1 x each year

b. With under water camera 1 x each 2 years

4. Calibration of time falling control rod 1 x each year

5. Reactivity calibration of control rods 2 x each year (resufling / loading)

6. Power calibration 2 x each year (resufling / loading)

7. Replacement of demineralizer machine 1 x each 2 years (or 2400 hours)

8. Replacement / cleaning of primary system filters 1 x each 2 years

9. Primary system maintenance and cleaning 1 x each year

10. Secondary system maintenance and cleaning 2 x each year

11. Bulk Shielding Cleaning 1 x each 2 years

12. Visual observation of the cooling system every hour of operation

13. Calibration of reactor measuring instrument 1 x each 2 years (deviation)

14. pH & Conductivity ATR every hour of operation

15. Measurement of maximum temperature 1 x each 3 months

16. ATR temperature measurements every hour during operation

17. MPC Cooling Water 1 x each 3 months

18. Control Panel Testing very will operation

19. Measurements of the reactor air radioactivity each operating reactor

20. Replacement / cleaning of Ventilation System Filters

• Prefilter 1 x each 2 years

• Absolute filter 1 x each 5 years

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PSTA – BATAN, April 2018.
Reference

1. Lamarsh, Jhon R., Introduction to Nuclear Reactor Theory Addison-Wesley Publishing

Company, New York, 1972

2. Suprawardana, Salam M., Introduction to Reactor Practice, National Atomic Energy

Agency Training and Course Center.

3. Kartini Reactor Safety Analysis, Gamma Atomic Power Research Center Yogyakarta,
National Atomic Energy Agency.

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Dokumen Bidang Reaktor
PSTA – BATAN, April 2018.