Mcmurdo Station Reactor Site Released for Unrestricted
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antarctic El (MFZ UOFTHE J LJ u ©UT March 1980 National Science Foundation Volume XV—Number 1 p. That condition applied at Camp Century, Greenland, where the Army, ... also intent on developing a cheap, re- liable power source for remote stations, had just installed a portable nuclear - .. reactor. According to the Armys early cost analysis, the electricity generated by the nuclear plant cost about 0.564 cents per kilowatt hour. By the time diesel fuel, then selling at 12 cents a gallon, was transported to McMurdo, its cost had risen to 40 cents a gallon. As a result, each kilowatt hour produced at McMurdos diesel .1 plant cost about 0.975 cents. r 7 Promise of nuclear power -. - - McMurdo Station, it seemed then, US Navy photograph XAM.4234294 was one of the few places in the world Halfway up Observation Hill, the four buildings of the PM-3A nuclear power plant were a where, given the price of diesel fuel McMurdo Station landmark. For a decade, PM-3A supplied McMurdos fresh water and after it had reached Antarctica and given electrical power. In this southward-viewing September 1964 photograph, the station is the existing state of nuclear technology, in the foreground and the Ross Ice Shelf in the background. a nuclear power plant promised to be more economical than a fossil fuel plant. McMurdo Station reactor site Because the promise of nuclear power for remote regions seemed so great in released for unrestricted use the late 1950s, the U.S. Congress also showed considerable interest in devel- oping nuclear reactors for antarctic and The site of the nuclear reactor that The U.S. experiment with nuclear other remote operations. With Con- powered McMurdo Station from 1962 power in Antarctica began as an attempt gressional approval, the Navy com- to 1972 has been released for unre- to find a cheaper way to maintain Sta- missioned a reactor for McMurdo stricted use following a 6-year cleanup Station. At the time, both Congress and tions in remote locations. In the late and an independent radiological survey the Navy were confident that, if the 1950s, almost half the supplies hauled of the area. According to the final de- McMurdo reactor worked, more reactors commissioning report filed by the from the United States to Antarctica for South Pole and Byrd Station would U.S. Navy with the Department of consisted of fuel oil to provide heat and follow. Energy, the site has been decontami- power. Logistic costs could not be cut Martin Marietta Corporation of nated to levels as low as reasonably by reducing the amount of fuel shipped Baltimore, Maryland, developed the achievable. The Department of Energys because without a minimum fuel sup- reactor, called PM-3A. It was a pres- 25 May 1979 authorization to release ply antarctic stations could not survive the site marks the end of the only ex- surized-water reactor: one system of the austral winter. Other remote stations pipes circulated water under pressure periment ever attempted to power an faced the same dilemma: fuel costs had antarctic station with a nuclear reactor. near the core of the reactor. That water, to he absorbed without serious question. heated by the core, turned water in a second piping system into steam. The The reactor arrived at McMurdo on much diesel fuel it would have taken steam from the second piping system 12 December 1961 by ship. The first to produce the power supplied by the then drove a turbine which produced "criticality" in the core was achieved plant. electrical power for the station. on 3 March 1962, and the plant began producing power tor the station on 10 The record indicates that PM-3A was, This reactor was more powerful than July. Initially, the reactor was operated in fact, successful at powering McMurdo Station and at saving money by reduc- the previous portable, medium-power by Navy crews under the direction of ing the amount of diesel fuel required reactors that had been developed. Its the Martin Marietta Corporation and at McMurdo. But the plant never re- capacity was about 1.8 megawatts and the Atomic Energy Commission. On placed the diesel engines that had to be its life expectancy was about 20 years. 27 May 1964, under a memorandum of maintained as backup generators for PM-3A also could be loaded onto a C- agreement between the Atomic Energy 130 airplane and flown wherever it was Commission and the Department of use during scheduled or unscheduled shutdowns of the nuclear plant. needed. It was-designed so that pack- Defense, the Naval Nuclear Power Unit ing, transportation, assembly, and dis- took over the reactor and operated it until the plant was decommissioned in From 1962 to 1966, operating mal- assembly could be accomplished under functions and scheduled maintenance September 1972. all environmental conditions. shutdowns kept the reactor from be- coming a continuous source of power. Record for continuous operation The only serious problem occurred in 1962, when hydrogen produced by the By 1966, despite frequent temporary radiolytic decomposition of water under shutdowns, the plant had broken the high gamma radiation caught fire in the record for the longest continuous oper- containment vessel. Apparently hydro- ation of a military nuclear reactor. In gen decomposition had not been en- 1971 the Navy increased the reactors countered even theoretically at that power output by 10 percent through stage in nuclear technology, but it was new operating techniques, and so kept quickly mastered by installing a hydro- pace with McMurdos energy demand. gen recombiner. The problem never That same year the reactor set another recurred. Damage to the reactor was record for continuous operation: it pro- slig. There were no injuries and there duced 1600 kilowatts for 172 days was no release of radioactivity. The without a stoppage. reactor, however, was put out of com- Editor: Richard P. Muldoon mission for 8 weeks. Antarctic Journal of the United States, Never in the operation of the reactor established in 1966, reports on U.S. was there a release of radiation in excess activities in Antarctica and related ac- of the safety levels set by the Atomic Diesel powered backup plant tivities elsewhere, and on trends in the Energy Commission, nor was there a U.S. Antarctic Program. It is published single injury caused by or related to the During that time, McMurdo had to quarterly (March, June, September, reactor. PM-3A operated for 10 years fall back on its diesel plant for heat and December) with a fifth annual re- in complete compliance with all Atomic and power, but the diesel fuel supply view issue by the Division of Polar Pro- Energy Agency regulations. that year was low and the icebreakers, grams, National Science Foundation, which were to lead the tanker and cargo Washington, D.C. 20550. Telephone Over its 10-year life the reactor pro- ships through e sea ice in McMurdo 202/357-7817. duced approximately 78 million kilowatt Sound, were unable to clear a channel through the ice until late in the season. Subscription rates are $7.50 per five hours of electricity. From 1966 to 1972 Helicopters ferried diesel in 55 gallon issues, domestic, and $9.40 per five a water distillation plant, using steam issues, foreign; single copies are $1.00 from the nuclear reactor, produced 13 drums from the tanker, anchored beyond ($1.25 foreign) except for the annual million gallons of freshwater by evapora- the sea ice, to the station. The episode review issue, which is $5.50 ($6.90 tive distillation. Over its career the illustrated the need for a reliable source foreign). Address changes and sub- reactor ran at 78 percent availability; of heat and power for an antarctic sta- scription matters should be sent to the that is, power was produced over the tion. Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washing- life of the reactor about 4 days out of After 1966, when the reactor had ton, D.C. 20402. every 5. When the reactor was running, attained some reliability, it was still it produced enough electricity to satisfy subject to precautionary shutdowns, The Director of the National Science almost all of McMurdos heat and power inspections, and core changes, none of Foundation has determined that the needs. which ever indicated a serious or dan- publication of this periodical is neces- gerous problem. But it was becoming sary in the transaction of the public Throughout the life of the reactor, increasingly apparent that the costs in- business required by law of this agency. successive issues of the Antarctic Jour- Use of funds for printing this periodical volved in maintaining the plant were nal contained tables detailing how much making the reactor more expensive has been approved by the director of power the reactor produced, how much the Office of Management and Budget than had been expected. fresh water was distilled from seawater, through 30 September 1984. how many consecutive days of opera- In 1970, when the President con- tion were achieved, and, of course, how solidated the management of the United Antarctic Journal States A ctiic Program under me National Science Foundation, the Office of Management and Budget also asked NSF to analyze the costs involved in maintaining an influential U.S. presence in Antarctica. In May 2972 NSF published an analysis of the U.S. Antarctic Program, which includail a costethect veness study of the reactor Performed, by Bechtel incorrated. The report concluded that PM-3A should be decommissioned as coon as possible because operation of the facility was not economical. The report recommended that IUA3A he reniaced with an uptodata turbine or diesek electric generator to supply power and heat and an oihfired boiler to operate the water distillation plant.