Year
2006
Abstract
The research reactor \"SPARROW\" was converted from the Russian made IRT-3M fuel containing highly-enriched uranium (HEU, enrichment: 36 % 235U) to the Russian IRT-4M fuel containing low enriched uranium (LEU, enrichment: 19.7 % 235U). The entire conversion was completed within 6 months of the year 2005 and \"SPARROW\" is successfully operating since. The paper presents the basic challenges of such a fuel conversion as well as experience with the new LEU fuel.