Nuclear Research Institute Successfully Completes Conversion of Bangladesh Research Reactor

The research reactor renovation project in Bangladesh has been successfully completed through Korean technology.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) announced on the 23rd that it has completed the turnkey renovation project of the instrumentation and control system for the Bangladesh Training and Research Reactor (BTRR), commissioned by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute recently successfully completed the digital instrumentation and control system renovation project for the Bangladesh Research Reactor and finished the on-site acceptance test. Photo by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute

The BTRR is the same type of reactor first introduced to Korea, and Bangladesh has been operating this research reactor since 1986. The renovation project involved converting the analog instrumentation and control system of the aging reactor to a digital system, enhancing safety and convenience.

KAERI won the contract in 2021 and carried out the design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and training for the BTRR digital instrumentation and control system on a turnkey basis. After recently completing 24-hour continuous reactor operation, KAERI received final project completion approval last month, concluding the project.

The digital instrumentation and control system is a core facility that monitors and controls the reactor’s operating status and safely shuts down the reactor in case of abnormal signs.

Through the renovation project, the institute newly installed nuclear instrumentation to measure neutrons in the reactor and process instrumentation to check temperature and flow in the reactor system.

Additionally, the reactor control system was duplicated, and the reactor protection system, which shuts down the reactor upon abnormal signs, was composed of two physically separated channels, enhancing both equipment reliability and safety.

In particular, KAERI explained that the ergonomic design of the Graphic User Interface (GUI) used by operators for reactor operation maximized operational convenience, resulting in high satisfaction among local Bangladeshi personnel.

The renovation project is the first nuclear cooperation project between Korea and Bangladesh, and its completion is evaluated as a milestone that has strengthened trust between the two countries.

Above all, Bangladesh recently completed the construction of two nuclear power plants and is expected to begin commercial operation soon. It is also anticipated to pursue the construction of a new research reactor for radioactive isotope production, which is expected to aid future export efforts.

Jung Young-wook, Director of the Hanaro Quantum Science Research Center, said, “It is significant that we now have the technology to improve the TRIGA Mark-II, which Korea used to import, with our own hands,” and added, “KAERI will continue to make efforts to export research reactor technology.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.