Owned and operated by UC Davis, the McClellan Nuclear Research Center provides research and educational services in nuclear sciences for academic, government and private sector communities. The reactor at MNRC was commissioned under the United States Air Force in 1990, making it one of the newest research reactors in the U.S. It is one of the highest power TRIGA™ (Training, Research, and Isotope Production General Atomics) reactor in the United States, rated at 1 MW in steady state. By design and construction, TRIGA reactors are 'fail-safe' in the sense that the fuel itself is designed to shut down the nuclear reactions if the temperature increases beyond the operation limits.
The reactor was built to support the MNRC’s unique radiography bays which include the two largest neutron radiography bays in the world. The McClellan center is currently the only reactor capable of performing neutron radiography on flight critical pyrotechnics for the Department of Defense and NASA.
Meet: Saturday April 19, 10:30 am, outside the fence on Price Avenue (ok to park in spots that say “authorized personnel only”).
The MNRC is located just north of downtown Sacramento. From I-80, take the northbound Watt Avenue exit. Turn left onto Peacekeeper Way which will bring you to Price Avenue.
What: Tour of center including neutron radiography bays and reactor. About 1-1.5 hours.
Notes: All visitors must complete the online safety briefing (1-2 minutes) in advance. https://mnrc.ucdavis.edu/form/briefing
Bring ID and closed-toe shoes. Not accessible for those who have difficulty with stairs/steps.
We will be sharing the tour with a school party from the Bay Area. A pizza lunch will be provided.
After lunch, those interested may wish to visit the nearby Aerospace Museum of California.
