RJH: Onet Technologies' loading/unloading machine on track

Since 2012, Onet Technologies teams have been involved in the construction of the Jules Horowitz research reactor. A long and complex project, but one in which we can salute the investment of our employees. The fuel element (CE) loading and unloading machine designed by Onet Technologies is currently in the final stages of functional development at our subcontractor Gonzales' mechanical manufacturing test site.

A look back at the RJH project

Unlike a production reactor, the Jules Horowitz research reactor is not designed to generate electricity, but to provide scientific data on the behavior of nuclear materials and fuels when exposed to very high stresses (high neutron fluxes).

Located on the Cadarache site, the RJH will be able to supply between 25% and 50% of the European Union's annual needs in radioisotopes for the medical sector. These radioelements have a shelf life limited to a few hours, and must therefore be delivered within a very short timeframe.

Onet Technologies has been chosen to supply the fuel element loading and unloading machine (MCD).

The MCD is a set of equipment for loading and unloading new and irradiated CEs from the Jules Horowitz reactor. It will be installed inside the reactor building enclosure above the battery block.

The MCD project began in 2012 and is supported by a team of up to 25 people from different specialties, depending on the project phase.

At the end of 2020, the teams carried out a first unloading/reloading cycle of a fuel element model between the core's central cell and the basket, marking a major milestone in the development of this machine.

The CEA customer expressed his satisfaction: " We would like to express our sincere congratulations and our gratitude to all the Onet Technologies and Gonzales staff who contributed to these initial results, which are indeed very encouraging for the future in 2021.

It's a testimony to the commitment of our teams, and a credit to the engineers currently on assignment in St Etienne to carry out development tests. With this first step completed, we are fully in line with the fuel loading deadline for the RJH reactor, which is set for 2028 at the latest.

How far along is the project?

After this functional fine-tuning phase, carried out at the Gonzales site in Saint-Etienne, France, a phase of functional testing in air and then in water is planned. A 250m3 pool has been dug for the purpose. This will provide a test area representative of the RJH's reactor building (BUR). At the same time, the teams carried out qualification tests on safety-rated electrical and control components in the laboratory.

On the side of the RJH reactor at Cadarache, the tracks on which the Machine will move have been mounted and adjusted. After the test runs, Onet Technologies will work with CEA teams to prepare the detailed operations required to install the MCD in the reactor building.

Lastly, a training period for future CEA operator and maintenance teams is scheduled over the coming months.