Underneath the surface are what remains of the sl 1 nuclear reactor, the building that contained it, tons of contaminated soil and rock, and some of the remains of the only people killed by a reactor accident in the united states. Atomic energy commission idaho operations office briefing about the sl 1 nuclear reactor meltdown. For an ideal cstr reactor, the residence time required for the reaction is given by. Underneath the surface are what remains of the sl1 nuclear reactor, the building that contained it, tons of contaminated soil and rock, and some of the remains of the only people killed by. As such, reactors were designed to be small, lightweight, easy to maintain and capable of operating for three years without refueling. The sl 1, or stationary lowpower reactor number one, was a united states army experimental nuclear power reactor which underwent a steam explosion and meltdown in january 1961, killing its three operators. Sl1 accident idaho national engineering laboratory the. Iaea safety standards series seismic design and qualification for nuclear power plants safety guide no. The only fatal reactor accident in the united states occurred on january 3, 1961, when an army prototype known as sl 1 for stationary, low power reactor, unit 1 exploded, killing the 3 operators who were present. Sl 1 reactor was designed to provide heat and electricity for remote dew line defense early warning system radar sites, which provided early warning of attack by soviet aircraft or icbms. The sl 1 burial ground in 2003, as taken from an epa report published that year. The sl1 reactor was a prototype of a reactor intended for easy assembly at remote facilities such as dew line stations in the arctic.
Oct 06, 2010 small reactors, safety culture, safe design, and lessons learned from sl1 october 6, 2010 by rod adams the united states has been operating small nuclear power plants continuously since the early 1950s. Specifically, the considerations of steam explosions for commercial light water reactors in the reactor safety study 1 are directly related to the sequence of events in the sl 1 accident. Review of the code compliance, design, and installation of the co2 fire suppression system in building tra648 of the idaho national engineering and environmental laboratory. Basic objectives in design of a reactor in chemical engineering physical operations such as fluid flow, heat transfer, mass transfer and separation processes play a very large part.
The sl1, or stationary lowpower reactor number one, was a united states army. The gcre, a watermoderated reactor situated in a swimming pool pit below the floor, went critical in 1959, and the ml1 was expected to arrive sometime in 1961. Table i, lists the dimensions for the fuel plates used in the three aluminum alloy fueled reactors. In the sl1 design, it was about 6 milliseconds before steam formation started. This paper addresses how the energy releases from the steam. The reactor was formally known as the stationary low power reactor number one, or informally as sl1, and was built by argonne national laboratory. The sl 1 reactor was a prototype of a reactor intended for easy assembly at remote facilities such as dew line stations in the arctic. The sl1 burial ground in 2003, as taken from an epa report published that year. Ido report on the nuclear incident at the sl1 reactor on january 3, 1961, at the national reactor testing station, january 1962. The sl 1 reactor being removed from the reactor building after the accident. The sl 1 accident sl 1 was a prototype boiling water reactor under test at the national reactor testing sta tion, idaho falls, u.
High radiation levels required workers work in short, rotating shifts to complete the work. For the nortel meridian sl1 for the nortel meridian sl1 on january 3 1961 the sl1 reactor was being prepared for a restart following maintenance procedures. The objective of this best practice guide is to help. The sl 1 reactor accident site today the worlds first fatal atomic accident occurred on january 3, 1961 when a small, 3mw experimental bwr called sl 1 stationary lowpower plant no. Manual, nuclear physics division, harwell laboratory, aerem3634, harwell. The truth about the sl1 accident understanding the reactor. Well use the sl 1 tragedy as an example of how the cause mapping process can be applied to a specific incident. Borax 1 and spert 1 reactors and in the sl 1 accident. Statement of senior scientist, nuclear program, natural. The story of the borax nuclear reactor and the ebri meltdown.
The reactor was formally known as the stationary low power reactor number one, or informally as sl 1, and was built by argonne national laboratory. Thereafter, the rhythm of work involved running the reactor for periods ranging between one and six weeks and then shutting down for train. Sl1 reactor was designed to provide heat and electricity for remote dew line defense early warning system radar sites, which provided early warning of attack by soviet aircraft or icbms. Stationary low power plant number 1, sl1 accident mragheb. An assessment of reactor safety modelling techniques based on. Review of the pfr steam generator design concept and operating history.
Sl1 accident briefing report 1961 nuclear reactor meltdown. The detailed investigation of the causes and effects of the sl 1 reactor accident has now provided the opportunity of comparing these model techniques with known full scale effects. Media related to sl 1 stationary lowpower reactor number one, an experimental nuclear power reactor of the united states army in butte county, idaho, united states, that underwent a steam explosion and meltdown on january 3, 1961, killing its three operators. Nearly half of the electrical energy use in a typical laboratory can be attributed to ventilation, and reducing a laboratorys ventilation needs can lower the cost to build and maintain a facility see figure 1. The sl1 reactor vessel being removed from the reactor. Considerable manual cleaning was required ill the sl1 building. It used 15 kg of uranium fuel enriched to 91% u235, was water moderated, and had a thermal power capacity of 3 mwt.
F during normal operating conditions or design aoos with an adjustment for burnup. The direct cause was the improper withdrawal of the central control rod, responsible for absorbing neutrons in the reactor core. The sl1 went critical for the first time on august 11, 1958, and produced its first electricity two months later on october 24. Clearly, the historical frequency of core melt accidents worldwide does not measure up to the safety objectives of the nrc. How the borax reactor came to be 1 the borax reactor arrives in idaho 9 the first operation 14 the first borax modified and becomes borax ii 18 plans for the destructive test of borax ii 23 the final destructive test of borax ii 26 borax iii. Jul 20, 2015 the sl 1 burial ground in 2003, as taken from an epa report published that year. Primary efforts subsequent to the sl1 accident consisted of removal of. Due to the need for small size, highly enriched uranium to the level of 93 percent was used, similarly to the design of naval propulsion reactors. The top of the reactor building was removed using tools mounted on a crane to minimize radiation exposure. Sl1 reactor accident on january 3, 1961, interim report, may 1961. Reactor design did not prevent rapid and extreme removal of control rods whether inadvertent or. The alarm, which was triggered by one of several measured parameters at the plant, was immediately broadcast over all national reactor testing station radio networks. Mediumpower sm1 reactor eigh teen miles from the white house.
The sl1 accident consequences environmental defense institute. Seismic analysis under sl1 of highpower dc reactor. Sep 01, 2007 as a supercritical state or decreasing also known as a subcritical state the rate of nuclear reaction. While sounding innocent enough, the reactor design allowed manual movement of a single control rod to insert a huge amount of reactivity. Almost a totally new reactor 35 plans made to light arco 42. Reactors jordan university of science and technology. The other control rods were withdrawn on manual control in. The day following the accident, a special board was convened by the general manager of the atomic energy commission to investigate and report on the accident. Knowledge of reaction kinetics is essential for understanding how a biological reactor works. An explanation of borax1, spert1 and the sl1 accident. The crew had been performing the routine process of. The truth about the sl1 accident understanding the. Jan 25, 2016 the worlds first fatal atomic accident occurred on january 3, 1961 when a small, 3mw experimental bwr called sl 1 stationary lowpower plant no. The results of seismic analysis such as the displacement, stress and reactive force under seismic level one sl1 with damping factor of 2% and 4% are presented in detail.
The sl 1 was a small 3 megawattthermal mwt boiling water reactor, complete with a turbinegenerator and condenser designed to generate both electric power and building heat. Sep 01, 2007 sl1 reactor was designed to provide heat and electricity for remote dew line defense early warning system radar sites, which provided early warning of attack by soviet aircraft or icbms. While the residual effects of the accident were limited due to the remote location and relatively small scale of the reactor, it remains today the only such incident to ever result in immediate deaths. Control rod lodged in the ceiling of the sl1 reactor building. The sl 1 and mp 2 sl models may be configured for total oxidizable carbons toc reduction or ozone destruction applications found in. The following documents pertain to the january 3, 1961 accident at the stationary low power reactor no.
Many innovative designs are reactors within the smalltomedium size range, having an equivalent. Once the kinetics is known, the reactor design can be made based on material balance. The sl 1 reactor the sl 1 reactor was a 3 megawatt experimental boiling water reactor bwr that was to serve as the prototype test and training reactor for the dew line applications. The sl1, or stationary lowpower reactor number one, was a united states army experimental nuclear power reactor in the united states that underwent a steam explosion and meltdown on january 3, 1961, killing its three operators. Status of small reactor designs without onsite refuelling. The sl 1, or stationary lowpower reactor number one, was a united states army experimental nuclear power reactor which underwent a steam explosion and meltdown on january 3, 1961, killing its three operators. Ragheb 112016 introduction the sl1 reactor, originally named argonne low power reactor, alpr, was designed for the usa army as a prototype of a lowpower, 300 kwe boilingwater reactor plant to be used in geographically remote locations. The decisions made in the design of the bioreactor might have a significant impact on overall process performance. This report has more accurate times for the events. This was the first fatal power reactor accident in the united states. Ragheb 112016 introduction the sl 1 reactor, originally named argonne low power reactor, alpr, was designed for the usa army as a prototype of a lowpower, 300 kwe boilingwater reactor plant to be used in geographically remote locations. The sl 1 reactor complex was dismantled and buried in unlined trenches next to the site.
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