On Wednesday, 5.03.2008 at 13:30 o'clock the reactor cycle 10b of the neutron source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) was terminated successfully with a burn-up of 1200 Mwd corresponding to 60 days of full power. The prolongated use of a fuel element was aggreed by the atomic regulatory authority on request of the TUM after an intensive survey of authorised experts.
Dr. Ingo Neuhaus, technical director of the FRM II is pleased about the more efficient scheduling of the source in future. „We need about one fuel elements less per year“, he said. By this the the work load of changing the fuel element is reduced in addition to the reduced nuclear transports and amount of burned-up fuel. Prof. Dr. Winfried Petry (scientific director) and Dr. Klaus Seebach (administrative director) are pleased as well due to the reduced costs by maintaining the availability of the neutron source. „We urgently need the resources for the development of the scientific use of our first class source“, Winfried Petry said.