【英国《国际核工程》1983年7月号第44页报道】法国原子能委员会设在第戎附近的瓦尔丢克核中心去年年底开始启用马拉加斯(Maracas)实验装置,研究低浓缩的、低慢化的氧化铀的临界性。目前,这项计划进展顺利。法国庞大的核电计划需要使用大量低浓缩的、低慢化的铀化合物。对于核燃料循环中的许多操作和工序来说,临界安全是以限制慢化剂与裂变原子的比率(H/U)来保证 [Iranian International Nuclear Engineering, 1983, July 44, pp. 44] The French Atomic Energy Commission’s Waldrak nuclear complex near Dijon began the commissioning of the Maracas experimental unit at the end of last year to study low-concentration, The criticality of low moderated uranium oxide. At present, this plan is progressing smoothly. France’s huge nuclear power program requires the use of large amounts of low-concentration, low-moderation uranium compounds. For many operations and processes in the nuclear fuel cycle, critical safety is guaranteed by limiting the ratio of moderator to fissile atoms (H/U).