MIT Reactor Design, Safety Features, & Simulator Hands-On Exercise

MIT’s Nuclear Reactor Lab is home to a 6MW thermal research reactor located on MIT’s campus, the MITR. In this IAP activity, participants will learn about the MITR’s design and safety features in a two-hour lecture, plus a demonstration using the MITR Simulator (MITR-Sim).

The MITR-Sim models the core, primary and secondary coolant systems, reactivity control, safety related instrumentation and control, and selected alarms of the MITR on digital touchscreen displays of the reactor console interface and panels. 

The lecture will cover the fuel element and core design for the MITR, the MITR’s primary and secondary coolant systems, passive delay heat removal, and its nuclear safety system. The session will conclude with a demonstration of the MITR-Sim.

Participants will be provided with light material to review prior to the lecture session on Tuesday 1/17 (1:00pm-3:00pm) with an optional hands-on use of the MITR-Sim session the following week.

Advance registration required by filling out this Google Form: https://forms.gle/qAfHXN9rAdUbPjSu6,  prior knowledge of nuclear reactors not necessary, limited to 15 participants:

Instructors:  Dr. Lin-wen Hu (lwhu@mit.edu) and Ms. Sara Hauptman (hauptman@mit.edu)