OPAL operating cycles

View of OPAL's reflector vessel

The OPAL research reactor operates on an annual (calendar year) program. This page provides details of OPAL's operating cycles, including maintenance information and a link to the neutron-scattering instruments' user schedule.

Typical operating cycles

OPAL typically operates in cycles of 30-35 days, followed by a short refuelling outage to remove two or three spent fuel elements and replace them with new fuel elements.

During these types of outages, ANSTO's Reactor Operations team complete any required inspections and perform preventative and corrective maintenance on the reactor. These refuelling outages currently last around four to six days, although the intention is to reduce this in future.

The Reactor Operations team aims to operate OPAL for 300 days each calendar year.

Extended maintenance

In addition, there are longer maintenance outages that enable more extensive inspections, refurbishment and maintenance work to be carried out. These maintenance outages vary in length, depending on the work required, but are generally between one and four weeks in length. They would normally also include refuelling the reactor. 

Scientific users

For users of Bragg's neutron-scattering instruments, a day of beam time runs for 24 hours; for example from 9 am to 9 am the following day.  The current beam users' schedule can be found on the Bragg Institute's online customer portal.

Reactor schedule - 2011/2012*

*This schedule is subject to revision based on the need to change the heavy water inventory. This schedule is based on a fixed fuel management system.

Page last updated 12.07.11. Revision no: 16.