This Safety Guide provides specific recommendations on core management and fuel handling for research reactors, including handling and storage of fresh fuel, irradiated fuel, core components and neutron sources, to meet the relevant requirements of IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSR-3, Safety of Research Reactors. The recommendations in this publication are intended for use by operating organizations of research reactors, regulatory bodies and other relevant organizations involved in a research reactor project. This Safety Guide is a revision of lAEA Safety Standards Series No. NS-G-4.3, which it supersedes.

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Structure
• 2. APPLICATION OF THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO CORE MANAGEMENT AND FUEL HANDLING AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Management responsibility for core management and fuel handling at a research reactor
  • Resource management for core management and fuel handling at a research reactor
  • Process implementation for core management and fuel handling at a research reactor
  • Measurement, assessment and improvement of the management system for a research reactor
• 3. CORE MANAGEMENT FOR A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Core calculations for a research reactor
    • Analyses of core conditions and characteristics
    • Computational methods for core calculations
  • Core operation at a research reactor
  • Core monitoring at a research reactor
  • Ensuring fuel integrity at a research reactor
  • Procurement of new fuel and design modifications at a research reactor
  • Refuelling process at a research reactor
• 4. HANDLING AND STORAGE OF FRESH FUEL AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Fresh fuel management at a research reactor
  • Receipt of fresh fuel at a research reactor
  • Storage of fresh fuel at a research reactor
• 5. THE REFUELLING PROGRAMME FOR A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Preparation for refuelling of a research reactor
  • Loading fuel and core components at a research reactor
  • Unloading fuel and core components at a research reactor
  • Handling fuel and core components and testing control rods at a research reactor
• 6. HANDLING AND STORAGE OF IRRADIATED FUEL AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
  • Storage of irradiated fuel at a research reactor
  • Inspection of irradiated fuel at a research reactor
• 7. HANDLING AND STORAGE OF CORE COMPONENTS AND NEUTRON SOURCES AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
• 8. PREPARATION OF FUEL FOR DISPATCH FROM A RESEARCH REACTOR
• 9. DOCUMENTATION FOR CORE MANAGEMENT AND FUEL HANDLING AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
• REFERENCES
• Annex REASONS FOR CORE MANAGEMENT AT A RESEARCH REACTOR
• CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW