The reactor at AFRRI is a Mark F, 1 megawatt TRIGA (training, research, isotope, General Atomic) reactor. The reactor hangs in a cloverleaf- shaped tank that contains 15,000 gallons of demineralized water. The aluminum tank varies in thickness from 1/4 inch for the exposure room projections to 1/2 inch for the tank bottom. Eighty percent of the reactor building and all of the reactor tank are below ground level. Algae growth in the reactor tank stimulated efforts to remove the algae from the pool. The source of nutrients for the algae had not been explored until recently. Reports that aluminum reactor tanks develop leaks prompted the reactor staff to begin a reactor pool water quality monitoring program to establish a baseline of measureable contaminants. Baseline data would be used to provide early detection of leaks because a change in baseline contaminants could indicate the start of a leak. This report summarizes the data collected, the steps taken to reduce the impurities, and the efforts to kill the algae and bacteria in the pool.
