A-1 (nuclear reactor)
| A | |
|---|---|
Workers on top of the reactor, late 1950s. Its design is very similar to the RBMK. | |
| Reactor concept | Plutonium production reactor |
| Designed by | Laboratory No. 2 |
| Operational | 19 June 1948 to 16 June 1987 |
| Status | Shut down |
| Location | Mayak Production Association, Chelyabinsk-40, Soviet Union |
| Main parameters of the reactor core | |
| Fuel (fissile material) | Natural uranium |
| Fuel state | Solid (rods) |
| Neutron energy spectrum | Slow |
| Primary control method | Control rods |
| Primary moderator | Nuclear graphite (block), coolant water |
| Primary coolant | Water from Techa river |
| Reactor usage | |
| Primary use | Plutonium production |
| Power (thermal) | 100 MW (initial), 900 MW (final upgrade) |
| Criticality (date) | 10 June 1948 |
| Operator/owner | Mayak Production Association |
| Remarks | First industrial-scale reactor in USSR, first water-cooled reactor in USSR, second reactor in USSR |
The A-1 nuclear reactor was the first Soviet plutonium production reactor, built and operated at the Mayak Production Association from 1948 for the Soviet atomic bomb project. It was affectionately named "Annushka" by project scientists.