Oak Ridge Research Reactor Safety Systems 1958

In 1953, the Oak Ridge Atomic Laboratory received approval to build a new research reactor from the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). With a thermal power rating of 20 MW, its neutron flux-the neutron beam intensity so critical for research-was 100 times greater than that of the Graphite Reactor and was exceeded only by that of the Materials Testing Reactor in Idaho.
After several construction delays, the new Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORR) was completed and reached its design power in 1958. A flexible, high performance reactor with an easy-to-access core, it facilitated research during 30 years of operations supporting many scientific advances. In spite of its high power and location in the center of the Laboratory, the ORR did not have a containment building. Instead, it was confined in an airtight structure that was operated at a slight negative pressure and vented to a stack through scrubbers and filters that would trap any escaping radioactivity. Such an arrangement might not be permitted today, but it was approved at the time after extensive review. The ORR worked well for 29 years with no serious difficulties or interruptions. Since it was flexible and easy to use, its features were copied in reactors at a number of laboratories around the world. This is clipped from the 1958 AEC film, Oak Ridge Research Reactor, which documents the history of the development of the Oak Ridge Research Nuclear Reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Using drawings and animation to complement the footage on the reactor's components, the film explains the experimental and practical uses of the facility. The entire film is available from the US National Archives.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• ORR
• atomic
• nuclear
• safety
• AEC
• energy
• commission
• union
• carbide
• oak
• ridge
• DOE