History Sodium Reactor Experiment

sodium reactor experiment - refueling head

the los angeles times published front-page story when moorpark supplied nuclear-generated electricity. edward r. murrow’s television program see featured event special news report, broadcast on november 24, 1957. in july 1958, atomics international produced film describing construction of sodium reactor experiment facility. sodium reactor experiment used sodium coolant; heat generated in reactor transported liquid sodium through reactor facility piping system. pumps used move sodium hot-oil centrifugal pumps modified use in sodium system. support system used tetralin (an oil-like fluid) cool pump seals, prevented leakage of hot sodium @ pump shaft.

gail fowler of atomics international displays l.a. times headline reactor s production of electricity (november 1957)

in july 1959, tetralin seeped primary coolant system through pump seal , decomposed high-temperature sodium. decomposed tetralin clogged several narrow cooling channels used sodium remove heat reactor fuel elements. tetralin residues clogged reactor s internal cooling channels, 13 of reactor s 43 fuel elements overheated , damaged. exact date of fuel damage unknown, believed have occurred between july 12 , 26.

at time, operators aware of unusual reactor behavior unaware of damage. continued operations several days before shutting down reactor examination. when operators attempted remove fuel elements reactor, elements removed found stuck. pieces of damaged fuel elements fell bottom of reactor. during following months, atomics international personnel removed stuck fuel elements, retrieved pieces of dropped fuel elements, cleaned sodium system , installed new reactor core. sodium reactor experiment restarted on september 7, 1960, fourteen months after accident. in 1961, atomics international produced movie explaining accident , recovery operation. sodium reactor experiment operated until february 15, 1964.

sodium reactor experiment - construction of reactor

in 1964, several modifications made reactor. these modifications completed in may 1965, atomic energy agency , atomics international decided close reactor rather restart it. facility decommissioning began in 1976 removal of reactor core, support systems , contaminated soil under structure. source of contaminated soil underneath building not appear related 1959 reactor incident. decommissioning completed in 1981. in 1982, atomics international produced film on decommissioning , decontamination of sodium reactor experiment.

a group of certified health physicists argonne national laboratory conducted independent sampling determine if then-current minimum cleanup standards radioactive residue met. in 1985, united states department of energy completed evaluation of survey reports , certified “…that there no evidence facilities pose radiological threat either personnel or environment”. in 1999, remaining structures demolished , removed site.