AJ Hippensteele
Connector Contributor

Last year, the UMass Lowell research reactor, one of only a few dozen university-run research reactors in the United States, celebrated fifty years of operation since it first achieved criticality on Jan. 25, 1975. Over those fifty years, the reactor has provided valuable research opportunities to students as well as radiation exposure testing for materials and electronics used in aviation and space missions. 

With the fifty-year celebration, facility leaders announced that they were in talks with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Nuclear Science User Facilities to create a plan and procure funding for an expansion of the facility. The proposed expansion for the facility would increase operating power from one megawatt to seven megawatts, which would provide production of medical isotopes, increasing the operation run time of the reactor and expanding research avenues for students and the community.

“Going to seven megawatts would open the door to medical isotope production and more materials testing,” said Declan Haraghey, a radiation safety technician at UMass Lowell,“and because the reactor would be running more for that work, other researchers would get more time on it at a lower cost.” The ability to produce medical isotopes would supply the reactor with an additional revenue stream while increasing the availability of lifesaving treatments across the country. 

Medical isotopes are valuable resources in medical diagnostic imaging and radiation therapies, mostly for cancer and heart disease detection. Since many of these isotopes decay rapidly, usually boasting a half-life of hours to days, they need to be produced and delivered continuously to hospitals. If UMLRR (University of Massachusetts Lowell Research Reactor) gains the ability to produce such isotopes, local hospitals could begin to rely on its supply of the isotopes for urgent patient procedures, since these isotopes cannot be stockpiled because of their short lives. Dr. Steven Snay, director of radiation safety at UMass Lowell, provided an insight into how this could impact the community, and the country.

“In the United States, and more locally in New England, there is a shortage of lifesaving medical isotopes.” Snay said. “Some cancer patients have their treatments rescheduled because the isotope(s) did not make it on the plane, or through customs. At a higher reactor power and with our proven fifty plus year safety record, we could supply isotopes to our major local hospitals, ensuring those receiving treatment get it when they need it”.

Snay added that the power uprate would offer new opportunities for student projects, such as system commissioning, thermohydraulic studies, and new facility assessments. Additionally, the expansion would increase availability for existing faculty and research clients.

Beyond commercial isotope production, the planned expansion will provide more job and research opportunities for UMass Lowell students. Operating at seven megawatts will create the need for more reactor operators, maintenance staff, and radiation safety officers since the facility plans to operate for longer periods of time. Student researchers and workers will be able to gain practical experience that can put them in a great position for careers in government research labs, medical facilities, and commercial nuclear power.

Upgrading the reactor’s output by such a large margin requires substantial improvements to the physical and infrastructural components of the facility. Installing additional cooling towers will allow the facility to manage higher heat loads better, while new high-capacity pumps will provide increased coolant circulation demanded from higher operating power. Additionally, to meet federal safety standards, the reactor must transition to a new fuel and obtain a new license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission alongside fluid system updates and system analyses. As UMLRR enters its revamping, the proposed expansion marks a big milestone for campus research and how UMass Lowell can provide a positive impact on the local community. If successful, the expansion will provide valuable medical isotopes to hospitals across New England and solidify the university as a major front for nuclear science by 2030