Dr. Starr of Atomics International New Head of a Mer Ican Nuc Lear Societ Y Group Includes Members from 29 Countries Devoted to Ad- Vancement of Nuclear Scienc E
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VOL. 1 NO. 2 ATOMICS INTERNATIONAL a division of North American Aviation, Inc. SEPTEMBER 195 8 Dr. Starr Of Atomics International New Head Of A mer ican Nuc lear Societ y Group Includes Members From 29 Countries Devoted To Ad- vancement Of Nuclear Scienc e At the annual meeting in June of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) . Dr . Chauncey Starr . general manager of Atomics International and vice president of North American Aviation, Inc. was elected president of the society to succeed Dr. Leland J . Haworth, Direc- tor of the Brookhaven National Laboratory . The American Nuclear Society was formed in 1955 to advance nuclear science and engineering . to encour- age research. establish scholarships, and to disseminate technical information. Membership of 3,000 Includes 29 Countries The organizations membership of 3 .000 includes about 140 members from 29 countries outside the United States representing many branches of science and technology . Members are associated with educa . tional . governmental . and research institutions, and with government contractors and industrial companies . First Student Award Established In keeping with one of the objectives of the society, the first annual graduate student award has been estab- lished for the most outstanding graduate student work- ing in the nuclear sciences. MR' ANS OFFICERS-At the recent meeting of the URER Chauncey Starr. general manager ; The. of Atomics The atcard is the first of its kind by the society and American Nuclear Societe, new officers elected are : (felt lnternatianaf and rice- president /,North American Aria- to right) John A. Straetout. deputy director of Oak Ridge tion, his .. PRESIDENT; and Octane J. DuTemple. full was established in memory of Dr . dark Mills who was rrtinnal Luhuratory. VICE-PRESIDENT ; M. A. Schutt,., time EAECUTIVE SECRETARY of the society . killed in a helicopter crash on April 7, 1958, at the project manager of tFestinghouae, Pittsburg , TREAS- Eniwetok Proving Grounds in the Pacific, Dr. Mills was a theoretical physicist and an authority in jet propulsion Ground-Breaking For Power Plant and atomic energy. Dr. Starr's Background Brings Wire From U. S. Presiden t Dr . Starr obtained his electrical engineering degree in 1932 and followed this with a Ph . D in Physics in 1935, both from Renselaer Polytechnic Institute . Fol- 75,000 - Under a separate contract with the U .S . Atomic kw Nuclear Plant To Produce lowing this he became a Research Fellow in Physics at Fnergy Commission, electricity will he fed into the Harvard University. Electricity For Consumers commercial distribution lines of Consumers Public From 19 :38 to 194.1 . Dr . Starr was research associate Power District of Nebraska. and the utility company Public Power District At Halla m at Massachusetts Institute of Technology . At the begin- will operate the completed plant . The nuclear power ning of World War ll . he conducted research for the plant is scheduled for completion in late 1961 . Navy Department's Bureau of Ships . Ground-breaking ceremonies on June 28 for the SGR Potentia l In 1942. he became associated with the Manhattan Atomics International designed sodium graphite reactor Atomics International's Sodium Graphite Reactor District , working with the Radiation Laboratory of the nuclear power plant to be built for the Consumers Pub- i SGR) concept is significant because it has the poten- University of California at Berkeley, the Tennessee East- lic Power District at Hallam. Nebraska, brought a tial of p,educing steam conditions whirl, a e typical man Corp, Oak Ridge. and the Clinton T .uhoratnries, congratulatory telegram from President Dwight D. of modern conventional steam plants. Current develop- Oak Ridge. In 1945. he was appointed to the Man- Eisenhower. hattan District Technical Committee on Inspection and The President's a sa^< read in pad . " , . .Thy United ment work and the designs which are evoking indicate the future possibility of SGR nuclear steam power Control of Atomic Energy . States is determined to advance civilization through the plants utilizing 1,100 psig. 1000°F (983 ala . 538°C) . constructive application of atomic energy . The benefits The plant at Ilallam eill n .e 800 psig. 825°F (56 .2 to be derived from harnessing the peaceful power of the ata . 410'C) . Suited to Larger Power Plants atom are almost beyond the imagination of mankind . The reactor will use uranium dioxide as fuel, graph . The economics of the =odium graphite reactor show Congratulations and best wishes . to all r- ged in ite as the moderator . and sodium as the heat transfer that these reactors am potentially attractive for power this most promising enterprise ." fluid . The plant will operate with higher reactor coolant plants with ratings from 1110.0011 electrical kilowatts Will P roduce Commercial Electricity temperatures . higher fuel element surface temperatures, and larger . where the relatively large inveatment costs The nuclear power plant will be powered by sodium . and higher steam pressure and temperature than any associated with a physically large reactor and the shield- 'noted. eraphiteanoderated reactor designed and to be other reactor currently authorized in the Ii-S . Atomic ing for a highly active coolant are compensanvl by high built by Atomics lntrrnational . and will generate heat Energy Commission's Demonstration Power Reactor thermal efficiency and the ability to use modern steam for 75.000 kilowatts of electricity. Program. equipment. BNA0875043 6 HDMSp01744638 PAGE TWO NUCLEAR NEWS / ATOMICS INTERNATIONAL Basis For Contract Reached On Highly Successful Operation Of OMRE 12,500 -Kilowatt Organic Reactor Draws Editorial Praise In `Nucleonics' Power Plant For Piqua, Ohi o A basis for contractual arrangements for a demon- "The Organic Moderated Reactor Experiment in Reactor to the forefront as one of today's most rapidly stration Organic Reactor nuclear power plant was recently reached with the U.S . Atomic Energy Commis- Idaho is going quite well with no noticeable gumming developing nuclear systems, Today, only a few years of the system by the decomposition products from the after the first experimental work . the OMRE is produc. sion, Atomics International, and the City of Piqua, Ohio, fluid . It's a delight to see the `casualness' of the plant. ." ing convincing evidence of the technical and economical This editorial comment in the July 1958 issue of feasibility of organic reactors . The agreement with Atomics International would cover the research, development, fabrication, and con- "Nucleonics" further calls attention to the safety and reliability of the Organic Reactor system . First Commercial OMR Power Plan t struction of a 12,500 electrical kilowatt nuclear reactor, The 12,500-kilowatt Organic Reactor power plant moderated and cooled by a high-boiling-point hydro . Over 4200 Hours Continuous Operatio n which is scheduled for operation for the Municipal carbon and fueled by slightly enriched uranium . Com- Up to the end of June 1958 . the OMRE had logged Power System of the City of Piqua, Ohio, in late 1961, pletion of the reactor is expected by July 1961 . over 4200 hours of nearly continuous operation . Radia. will be the first commercial demonstration plant to Site to be Provided tion damage to the organic has been well within pre- utilize the Organic Reactor system . the indicated The city of Piqua, under a separate agreement with dicted limits and for power reactors However . conceptual designs have been completed the U .S . Atomic Energy Commission . would provide coolant replacement-rate is less than 0 .006 pounds per for much larger power plants of 100.000-150,000 kilo- the site near its existing steam plant on the Great electrical kilowatt hour. This is egnivalent to an energy watts in response to the active interest of countries such cost under one mill. Activity levels in the primary heat Miami River and also provide the conventional turbo. as Italy. Germany and Japan . generating and relating facilities . transfer system have proved to be much lower than Under the Commission's authority, the city of Piqua anticipated . permitting contact maintenance of pumps Other Applications of OMR and process equipment at all times. Mechanical prob . would also operate the entire plant for five years as part lems have been relatit-sly few. with refinery-type coin- A design study has also been completed by Atomics of its electrical power and industrial steam system and International for the U.S . Maritime Commission and ponents performing very well . purchase steam produced by the reactor from the the U .S . Atomic Energy Commission, on the application Commission. Second Year of Operation of this reactor system to the propulsion of supertankers. The OAIRE is now entering its second year of opera . Interest is also being created on the application tion at the National Reactor Test Station in Idaho . Its of the Organic Reactor system to process-steam and very successful experience has brought the Organic process-heat plants . ARTIST'S CONCEPTION-of a 12,$00-kilowatt OUR nuclear power plant . Supervised Installation of Reactor Components Atomics International's Research Reactor Components for the West Berlin reactor were installed and placed in operation under the supervision of tech- Goes Into Operation In West Berli n nical personnel from Atomics International . Supervisory assistance during installation of the major reactor eom. U .S . `ATOMS - FOR-PEACE' FUEL STARTS 50,000-WATT REACTOR ponents was given by R . Stewa rt , installation engineer 'AW .4 50.000-watt nuclear research reactor. built b y and industrial research . including the production and at Atomics International . The checkout and calibration Atomics International and installed at the Institute for study of isotopes . radiation effects on materials, and of electrical equipment and instructions in reactor Nuclear Research in West Berlin . was placed in opera. reactor operation and maintenance practices . operational procedures were directed by Oren J . Foust, tion on July 24 . 1958 . while the pre-operating tests and fuel loading methods Fourth Reactor in Operation Abroa d were supervised by B .