The nuclear reactor of Shippingport is located at the nuclear plant of Beaver Valley on the Ohio in Pennsylvania to approximately 35 km of Pittsburgh. It is the first Pressurized water reactor to produce electricity, it was brought into service the December 2nd 1957, and maintain in exploitation until in 1982.
The engine was a Pressurized water reactor of a power of 60 MW. More precisely, it was about a pressurized light water reactor breeder (Pressurized Light-Toilets Reactor Breeder, PLWBR) conceived to use enriched uranium with 93% (the most current engines do not use an enrichment of more than 5% in their combustible). The engine was designed in the beginning to equip a large transport aircraft, and was thus adapted to a commercial use.
Construction
In 1953, the US president Eisenhower made the speech entitled Atoms for Peace (nuclear power for peace) with the United Nations. The nuclear electrical production was an angular stone of its project. The US Navy was charged to work with the industry of electrical production. A proposal of the Duquesne Light Company was accepted and the creation of the plans of the nuclear plant of Shippingport could start.
The engine was brought into service at 4:30 on December 2nd, 1957. December 18th, 1957, electricity was injected for the first time in the network, and the engine functioned for the first time at the nominal nominal output on December 23rd, 1957. Eisenhower inaugurated the nuclear plant of Shippingport on May 26th, 1958. The power station was built in 32 months for 72.5 million dollars.
Breeder
From 1977 to 1982, the engine of Shippingport proved the experimental feasibility of the Surgénération in thermal spectrum. It was equipped with a heart Thorium -232/Uranium -233. Indeed, thorium-232 is a fertile element which, if it absorbs a neutron, is transformed into uranium-233 Fissile by emitting two rays beta. To support this reaction, the fuel uranium located in the middle of the engine was surrounded by blankets to thorium. Under these conditions, the engine reached a conversion factor (report/ratio, for a given time interval, number of fissile nuclides produced with the number of destroyed fissile nuclides) of 1,014. This result could be obtained only thanks to one drastic reduction of the escapes and the non-fission captures:- under moderation to avoid the captures in water;
- mobile feeder core for the control of the reactivity.
Dismantling
October 1st 1982, the engine was stopped after 25 years of operation. In September 1985, the dismantling of the installation began. The cost of dismantling of 98 million dollars (estimate of 1985) was used as reference for the dismantling of other nuclear installations by the pronucléaires. However, of criticisms showed that Shippingport was smaller and of design different compared to the majority from the other nuclear plants.
External bonds
- {in} Short history of the site
- {in} Shippingport and Eisenhower
| Random links: | Chisseaux | Sannes | Paul Sorvino | Spondylis | The Mystery of Dalarö |