Workers at Idaho National Laboratory’s Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) have completed an 11-month outage for a core overhaul that occurs about every 10 years to maintain peak performance. During the overhaul, operators and maintenance teams replaced components that wear out over time — akin to rebuilding the engine of a high-performance car.
ATR is the world’s largest, most powerful, and flexible materials test reactor. Its distinctive cloverleaf core design provides a range of capabilities that no other can match. The new core components make it possible to continue ATR’s strategic and scientific research missions for another decade or more.