Instituto Balseiro Role in Nuclear Knowledge Preservation and Advancement in Argentina R. E. Mayer Neutron Physics Group and Instituto Balseiro Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica and Universidad Nacional de Cuyo ARGENTINA IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 The experience in nuclear technological knowledge preservation and development in the Argentine Republic has been the responsibility of many actors due to many factors. Among these, a key role was played by an academic institution which started teaching physics at university level in 1955 and, later, in 1977 started training young minds in nuclear engineering, the Instituto Balseiro. IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 The nuclear background within the country has in part shaped the character of the institute and, also, Dr. J. A. Balseiro provided the requirements that contributed to orient its evolution. IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 Organizational Context Intituto Balseiro [1] was founded in 1955 as the Bariloche institute of Physics after the name of the nearby town (some 1700 km from the capital Buenos Aires) and was later renamed for its founder after his early passing away. It is a university academic unit with the highly successful characteristic of its belonging to two very different institutions, from which it is enriched with their particular traditions, skills and interests, that is, the argentine National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) and the National University of Cuyo. It carries out its activities inside the Bariloche Atomic Centre, which is one of the three such R&D units CNEA has created, apart for other specifically dedicated smaller units along the country. IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 Objectives and Background Objective - the nuclear plan Background - experience brought about by: - design, construction and operation of several research reactors and critical facilities, - production of some radioisotopes, -operation of two NPPs - research experience, mainly by groups of nuclear fuels and reactor physics at the Ezeiza and Constituyentes Atomic Centres and, especially related to the activities of the Intituto Balseiro, several research groups at the Bariloche Atomic Centre - Neutrons and Reactors group operating a 25 MeV electron LINAC small accelerator based neutron source - RA-6 research reactor constructed for the Institute. IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 25 MeV e-LINAC at Bariloche Atomic Centre IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 CNA-1 and CNE NPPs IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 RA-1: Argonaut type reactor, 100% national, project starts in 1957. First criticality reached 17- January-1958 (6: a.m.). RA-0, RA-4 (both in universities) RA-2: critical facility (closed and decommissionned) RA-3, another local design, started as a 3 MW machine, upgraded to 7 MW, currently a 10 MW facility, 1014 n/cm2/s (thermal), mostly dedicated to radioisotopes production. RA-6, central piece of new Nuclear Engineering at Instituto Balseiro. Project starts ~1977. Operational in 1982. Ra-8, a critical facility conceived and operated for the exclusive purpose of testing the core configuration of the CAREM reactor concept. IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 Description of the KM Initiative Undergraduate students enter at 3rd year level. Spend 3 years with full-time dedication. Scholarship fully covers maintenance expenses. Strict selection process, little or no loss of students. Students applying to the undergraduate level (Physics or Nuclear, Mechanical or Telecommunications Engineering) or to the postgraduate courses (Specialization, Master or PhD) come from any university of the country or from abroad. United Nations Development Programme The Institute has been designated by IAEA, for a second time, as one of its Collaborating Centres. IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 INSTITUTO BALSEIRO Till this day, IB has produced: 683 Physicists 362 Nuclear Engineers 81 Mechanical Engineers 2 Telecommunications Eng. IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 INSTITUTO BALSEIRO IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 RA-6 1 MW research reactor designed and built for the Balseiro Institute IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 Major challenges & achievements PIAP Heavy water production IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 Atucha II NPP IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 CAREM 25MW Small modular, self pressurized reactor IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 Lessons learned knowledge derived Original engineering plan spanned 6 years (four at the Institute, entering at 3rd year level). Current plan 5 years. Probable evolution to 5 and ½ years. Training where research and engineering communities coexist + full scholarship = highly successful. Professional prone to develop new solutions. Visible result: Initiation of CAREN-25 MW construction. Completion of the Atucha-II NPP. Construction stalled during 90s due to nuclear step-back. Work restarted after 2005 and 2006 decrees. Country completely alone with PHWR technology. 126000 docs. “in paper”. 16000 design modifications. 7200 people worked (186 welders trained). First criticality 3-June-2014. IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 Thank you Reference INSTITUTO BALSEIRO web page, http://www.ib.edu.ar/ IAEA-Nuclear Knowledge-2016 .