Sources: Mo Hosni, 785-532-5610, hosni@k-state.edu; Ken Shultis, 785-532-5626,
jks@k-state.edu; and Mike Whaley, 785-532-6657, whaley@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/media/nuclear/index.html
Photos available of students at http://www.k-state.edu/media/nuclear/students.html
Note to editor: Larry Retzlaff is a graduate of Southeast of Saline High School, Gypsum.
News release prepared by: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, 785-532-6415, ebarcomb@k-state.edu
Thursday, April 17, 2008
UPGRADE TO K-STATE'S RESEARCH REACTOR EXPANDS POTENTIAL FOR RESEARCH, CREATES MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
MANHATTAN -- A power upgrade that will make Kansas State University's nuclear reactor the fifth highest-powered university reactor in the country is expanding the possibilities for researchers who work in areas like radiation detector testing, radiography and trace element analysis.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved an upgrade to the output of K-State's TRIGA reactor from 250 kilowatts to 1.25 Megawatts. The reactor's primary function is for the generation of neutrons for experiments. University researchers use the reactor for diverse projects, from developing bomb-detection equipment that will aid in homeland security and testing new types of radiation detectors developed by the K-State SMART laboratories, to analyzing the chemical composition of Stone Age tools.
The increase in power will provide more intense radiation for researchers studying radiological imaging similar to the type used in health care, said Mike Whaley, who manages K-State's reactor. The power increase helps better detection of trace elements -- neutron activation analysis -- and creates new opportunities to study how radiation affects materials, like how radiation might help convert cellulose to ethanol.
The research reactor is a centerpiece for K-State's nuclear engineering program, which in 1958 was one of the first to become a separate department and in 1964 became the first program in the nation to gain accreditation. Undergraduates in the program get to do experiments involving the reactor, and many learn how to operate the reactor and become licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
"The 20-year reactor operation license renewal and power upgrade approval by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are great news for our excellent nuclear engineering program," said Mo Hosni, professor and head of K-State's department of mechanical and nuclear engineering. "Our talented students, outstanding faculty and skillful staff will benefit from new research opportunities using the reactor at the higher power level. The reactor is in excellent condition."
K-State's reactor has had no accidents since it began operating in 1962. In granting the power upgrade, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determined that the research reactor will remain safe to the public and the people working inside.
Podcasts, photos and other information about K-State's research reactor and nuclear engineering program are available at http://www.k-state.edu/media/nuclear/index.html
Photos of K-State students who work with the reactor are available at:
http://www.k-state.edu/media/nuclear/students.html
The photos include: Ben Van, junior in electrical engineering, Cheney; Aaron Holloway, senior in mechanical engineering, Derby; Troy Unruh, graduate student in nuclear engineering, Goessel; Alan Cebula, graduate student in nuclear engineering, Goodland; Larry Retzlaff, senior in mechanical engineering, Herington; Amir Bahadori, senior in mechanical engineering, Kansas City, Kan.; Josh Van Meter, graduate student in nuclear engineering, Minneapolis; and Alex Meyer, senior in mechanical engineering, St. George.