Tankreactors

Tankreactors are a class of experimental nuclear reactors that were developed in the 1950s and 1960s. The design features a set of concentric reactor vessels, some of which are connected to form a chain, while others remain isolated. This configuration creates a fuel core that is surrounded by a series of radiation shields and coolant channels.

The primary purpose of tankreactors was to demonstrate and test innovative reactor designs that could improve safety, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. These experiments were part of a broader effort by scientists and engineers to develop advanced nuclear reactor technologies that could accelerate the nuclear power industry's development in the 1950s and 1960s.

Tankreactors were test facilities where scientists could research and test the reactor components, fuel cycles, and systems independently from commercial reactors. They typically consisted of multiple self-sustaining loops of pipe, called "modules" or "subreactors," connected in parallel or series. The arrays of subreactors were therefore representations of commercial reactors but instead focused on creating a mini-scale replication of real reactors allowing an effortless understanding on design.

As a result, tankreactors provided significant advancement in nuclear power engineering, including discovering faults and changing controversial designs based on the success of a series of education reactors widespread within the class.