The Army Pulse Radiation Facility (APRF) is designed to meet an
Army need for a facility located near the Eastern Seaboard capable
of providing large fast neutron and gamma radiation doses within
microseconds. This fast pulse radiation capability is necessary for
the determination of transient responses of materiel in nuclear
environments.
The APRF increases Army capability by providing improved simulation of
radiative effects of a nuclear burst for studies of Army interest, and
provides a facility for testing Army materiel. Because of its location,
the APRF economically and efficiently serves the heavy concentration of
Army agencies and contractors located along the Eastern Seaboard.
The design of the APRF is a direct outgrowth of projected user
requirements. Thus the reactor can be used both for high dose
irradiations of small objects, as a point source for radiation detector
studies, and irradiation of bulk objects. The former requirement led
to the incorporation of a 1½-inch OD “glory hole” running through
the center of the core, and providing a fast neutron fluence of
about 9 × 10¹⁴ neutrons per square centimeter per pulse. The latter
two requirements have resulted in the design of a large volume,
low-radiation backscatter Reactor Building. Provision is made for
moving the reactor both within the Reactor Building and to an outdoor
test site at heights variable up to 44 feet above ground by means of a
mechanical device called the reactor transporter. The reactor is also
capable of intermittent steady state operation in the kilowatt range
for classes of experiments requiring this mode of operation.
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