I couldn’t be happier to be announcing the addition of six(!) more digitized historical nuclear films to the world’s collection, thanks to the generosity of Last Energy. This is our biggest batch of digitizations yet! As before, these were all sourced from 16mm films in the US National Archives. We will continue shedding light on valuable and historic films. If you’re interested in participating, see contact info at bottom of page.
The Army needed reactors that could be packaged up and air-lifted to remote bases to provide power. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a compact and simple pressurized water reactor that could achieve this. A prototype was suggested, and so the SM-1 was built and operated in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. This film explains the package power program and shows construction and initial operation of the SM-1, aka the APPR-1.
This is film 88093 in our catalog.
This one summarizes the growing need for non-fossil electricity sources and explains how the USA is approaching the development of economical nuclear power by building a variety of promising concepts, including the Fast Breeder Reactor (EBR-1 in Idaho) Sodium Graphite Reactor (SRE in CA), the Pressurized Water Reactor (APPR-1/SM-1 and Shippingport), the Aqueous Homogeneous Reactor (HRE at Oak Ridge), and the Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR at Argonne).
This is film 88107 in our catalog.
The second round of the US Power Demonstration Reactor Program aimed to bring more newcomers into the nuclear industry, both as customers and as constructors. Several small rural communities were awardees in the program, and the Elk River Reactor in Elk River, MN was built. This film describes the reactor.
This is film 88195 in our catalog.
The third international “Atoms for Peace” conference occurred in Geneva in 1964. The US delegation produced 24 films summarizing progress in nuclear in the USA. The following was one of them. As the film explains, concerns about long-term uranium supply were serious in 1955, so the Indian Point 1 reactor used thorium as the fertile material instead of U-238. This was the first commercial-scale use of a thorium fuel cycle.
(Not mentioned in the film is the fact that the second core moved away from thorium to reduce cost, and because much more uranium had been discovered than initially expected)
This is film 88208 in our catalog.
See Also:
This was another 1964 film of the same vintage, but about the Yankee Rowe PWR. Yankee Rowe was developed by a consortium of utility companies. It’s excellent performance in construction and operation was a major factor in the achievement of economical nuclear power that led to a LWR-dominant fleet.
This is film 88209 in our catalog.
This film details a swimming pool type reactor used for naval research. It is the best-looking of this batch in terms of video quality.
However, there has been an issue with the audio track that I’m currently resolving with the scanning contractor, so I’ll post this one soon.
This is film 88192 in our catalog.
All our video digitization announcements:
The American Nuclear Society (ANS) has partnered with us to bring 2 more historical films to your living room! See their announcement and writeup here..
The first is Roundup:
Second is RADIOISOTOPES: SAFE SERVANTS OF INDUSTRY:
Special thanks to Brett Rampal for the connection.
All our video digitization announcements:
I got it! The PM-1 Final Summary Report was delivered to me yesterday after I filed a FOIA request to the military library that had it cataloged (at their recommendation). This is the pure-gold lessons-learned report from operating a 1 MWe military microreactor in WY for 4 years.
It contains cost and performance information, summarizing which systems worked well and which ones did not. This is a follow-up to some searching I did after getting this summary film digitized.
It’s highly readable. The summary says that it was a big pain to maintain b/c it was too compact. They wanted it designed for maintainability first and compactness next. “Consequently, the Air Force now has a plant that is neither portable nor easily maintainable or operable.” 👀
They had environmental issues. If it was hotter than 80° F outside the turbine oil overheated, but if it was cold the condenser tubes froze. Though it was a 1 MWe reactor, it hardly ever ran over 0.6 MWe.
The Air Force had lots of trouble keeping qualified people around to operate PM-1. Lots of folks trained on it on their way down to Nukey Poo, the reactor powering a McMurdo station in Antarctica.
Total performance is summarized. While they weren’t thrilled with the overall performance, the reactor did have the record uptime at the time of writing: 4101 hours (171 days). This was before commercial LWRs had really been fine-tuned to run 1.5-2 years straight.
The reactor had no shortage of maintenance issues. Its failures caused 40 power outages at the radar station in its 4 years of operation. There were over 100 unplanned scrams.
The maintenance issues are broken down by systems. Each system has a paragraph describing how well or poorly it worked, and suggestions for how to improve in the future. Current microreactor developers: this is super interesting!
They did not like their hair-trigger nuclear instrumentation system. The control rod drives were also highly problematic.
Plant HVAC was their biggest problem.
You get the idea, I won’t list all the rest of them, but it’s most stuff like this. All plant modifications are also listed out. There were a lot of them!
There’s a discussion of how many people would be realistically needed to operate the plant in the field. While 2 people were supposed to operate the plant, a crew of 25 is actually needed.
In summary, the report concludes that without major improvements, nuclear power has a dim economic outlook based on this experience.
Notably, they really were not impressed with how much maintenance the conventional (non-nuclear) parts of the plant required. “Perhaps another approach is necessary”. Direct energy conversion, anyone?
Overall, a highly valuable document of high interest to any reactor designer. I uploaded it here. Enjoy!
Puerto Rico and the US Atomic Energy Commission built and operated an extremely interesting nuclear reactor in the 1960s. It was intended to demonstrate an ability to not only boil water to steam in the nuclear core, but also to superheat the steam to higher temperature. Superheated dry steam would improve the efficiency of power plant and allow use of cheaper off-the-shelf turbine equipment, dramatically improving cost performance over non-superheat boiling water reactors. A variety of small technical problems arose that proved expensive to fix permanently, and so the project was eventually abandoned, and today’s BWRs sadly do not superheat their steam.
We just received in the mail a hard drive containing this documentary, digitized off of 16mm film from the National Archives for (what we believe is) the first time ever. Now, the story of BONUS, its construction, and initial operation, can stream to you in living color wherever you are. Enjoy!
Catalog description: The film describes the construction and initial operation of a small, unique nuclear power station, the Boiling Nuclear Superheat Reactor, in the picturesque, tropical setting of Puerto Rico. Through animation, the film compares nuclear superheat reactors with other types and briefly describes the joint arrangements between the United States Atomic Energy Commission and the Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority for construction and operation of this first nuclear power plant in the tropics.
Thanks to Brett Rampal for funding the digitization of this film.
Contents of the film by timestamp include:
These are loaded into the youtube video as chapters for your convenience.
All our video digitization announcements:
We’re extraordinarily excited to announce the recent digitization of a 1964 film all about everyone’s favorite nuclear-powered cargo/passenger ship: The N.S. Savannah!
Catalog description: This nontechnical, documentary film, for junior-high-school through college-level audiences, covers the historical background, and the design, construction, sea trials, and initial port calls of the N.S. Savannah, the world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship. The film begins with a brief review of America's maritime growth, starting with May 22, 1819, and the story of the S.S. Savannah, the first ship to cross the ocean under steam power. The design of the N.S. Savannah and its atomic reactor and propulsion system are explained with animation and live action photography. After keel laying, various phases of the ship's construction are covered, and the assembling and testing of the reactor are explained. The ceremonies involving the launching of the ship are shown, followed by impressive scenes showing the loading of the reactor with its nuclear fuel under surgically clean conditions. The special training of the crew is reviewed. The film then shows the sea trials of the ship, during which time the reactor is slowly brought up to full power. After sea trials, the trip of the N.S. Savannah to her first port of call, Savannah, Georgia, is covered, followed by her voyage through the Panama Canal and visits to Hawaii and West Coast ports. As the ship leaves for foreign ports, the film ends with a statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson on the significance of the Nuclear Ship Savannah as a pioneer in the use of nuclear power for world trade to benefit all mankind.
Thanks to Ross Koningstein for his help in making this happen. And thanks to Sohail Khan for helping with getting the sound track as the first-ever donor to our film-scanning GoFundMe (linked below).
The film was produced for the USAEC and the US Maritime Administration by Orleans Film Productions. It was originally sold for $85 per print, including shipping case.
Contents of the film by timestamp include:
These are loaded into the youtube video as chapters for your convenience.
My journey to digitizing this video actually started when I happened upon a quote in an old document that said:
"Considered by some marine engineers the most beautiful ship ever built, the sleek white SAVANNAH was shown off to the crowds at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair"
And so, I sought out a picture of N.S. Savannah in Seattle. By going through the newspaper archives around the time of her visit, I found a bad-quality scan of the Savannah with the Space Needle from the October 2 1962 Seattle PI newspaper. The more I looked, the more I decided I needed to get this film digitized, hoping it would have shots from Seattle. And sure enough, it did. But I also wanted to see if I could find the photo from the newspaper. I called local museums and libraries. The MOHAI in Seattle dug through their records and found negatives of Savannah. I ordered scans of two of them and get the rights to post them here. Behold!
Right after we digitized this, Alice Orleans Jordon, the daughter of the film’s producer, Sam Orleans, reached out and shared some photos from their personal collection. She’s in the film as a child at 22:07 with her mother. She recalls:
They served us fruit cocktail for these takes. I remember it was chilled. I was so impressed! There was a white baby grand piano in the lounge–I learned to play chopsticks on it. The lounge had white, plush carpet. I remember how good it felt on my bare feet!
Here are her photos:
All our video digitization announcements:
We’re super excited to announce the recent digitization of a 1961 film detailing a major repair of the Homogeneous Reactor Experiment-2 (HRE-2), a fluid-fueled aqueous homogeneous reactor at the Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee This reactor was an early predecessor to molten salt reactors. This is the third of four historical nuclear films in our latest batch of 4K digitizations from 16mm film at the National Archives.
HRE-2 developed a hole that leaked fluid fuel from the core region into the heavy water blanket region. They adjusted procedures and operated in this condition for a while. Later, it developed a second hole and they decided to repair it. This film shows highly specialized tools and equipment allowing them to diagnose and repair the holes remotely. Inside the core the radiation dose rate was a nearly-unbelievable 100,000 R/hr.
I read the story of the HRE-2 vessel leak many years ago in Alvin Weinberg’s autobiography (pg 124), so when I learned that there was an old video describing its repair, I knew it had to be digitized. This is an extremely rare film that probably hasn’t been viewed by hardly anyone since the 1960s… until today!
Catalog description: Illustrates the remote repair and modification of the HRE-2 core vessel, following the formation of two holes which permitted transfer of fuel to the blanket side of the reactor. Shows how special equipment had to be designed for repairing the HRE-2, and the problems involved in working with the reactor where the radiation level in the vessel was greater than 100,000 Roentgen per hour.
Thanks to Ross Koningstein for his help in making this happen.
Contents of the film by timestamp include:
These are loaded into the youtube video as chapters for your convenience.
All our video digitization announcements:
We’re excited to announce the recent digitization of this 1965 film summarizing the test reactors and other activities of the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS), known today as the Idaho National Lab (INL). This is the second of four historical nuclear films in our latest batch of 4K digitizations from 16mm film at the National Archives.
Catalog description: This nontechnical film, for all audience levels, tells how the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho is furthering the USAEC's quest for economic nuclear power. Most of the more than 40 experimental nuclear reactors built, being built, or planned there are described either historically or currently, including the Navy's prototypes for the submarine Nautilus and aircraft carrier Enterprise; the internationally known testing reactor complex (MTR, ETR, ATR); the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, the Army's mobile low power nuclear plant (ML-1); and the importance of breeding nuclear fuel as authorized by the two Experimental Breeder Reactor complexes, EBR-I and EBR-II. Also discussed are the USAEC's leading reactor safety programs SPERT and STEP (Special Power Excursion Reactor Test and Safety Test Engineering Program). The film also explains the basic principles of power reactor construction and operation in an animated sequence that is also available as a separate film titled, "Basic Principles of Power Reactor Operation.
Thanks to Ross Koningstein for his help in making this happen.
Contents of the film by timestamp include:
These are loaded into the youtube video as chapters for your convenience.
They apparently called it Prototype Prairie (2:05)
All our video digitization announcements:
We’re extremely excited to announce the first of four historical nuclear films in our latest batch of 4K digitizations from 16mm film at the National Archives. It features the 1 MWe PM-1 military microreactor, a small modular reactor that the US Army manufactured and tested in a factory, disassembled into 16 modules, and air-lifted to the closest airfield by C-130, trucked to site, re-assembled, and then powered a remote Cold War radar station back in 1962. It had direct air cooling, meaning it did not need to be near any water supply. It was designed to be disassembled, moved, and re-assembled as necessary. No field welding was needed for re-assembly. It was a PWR that could be operated by a crew of 2.
Catalog description: A filmed story of the PM-1 nuclear power plant (a pressurized water system), a joint project of the USAEC and the U. S. Air Force, which supplies the power for the radar and space heating of a remote Air Defense Command radar station in Wyoming. The film breaks down the types and contents of 16 air transportable packages, a total weight of about 30,000 pounds: reactor, steam generator, waste tank, heat-transfer apparatus, control room, turbogenerator, etc. Details are given on major components and the design and operation of the system by information on: 741 nuclear fuel tubes in 7 fuel bundles, the "flow" of primary water, the secondary water, details on the makeup of the fuel element tubes, criticality testing, nature of the control rods, tests to determine heat transfer and flow characteristics. The film recounts the airlift of the packages, erection and assembly of the power plant, the work to achieve criticality, and the varied safety controls.
Thanks to Ross Koningstein for his help in making this happen.
As for what happened in the end, the PM-1 Final Summary Report explains the situation clearly. This report contains the lessons learned after operating the military microreactor for 4 years. It highlights all the unplanned outages, maintenance costs, and lists the performance of each individual system. It’s highly readable, but to summarize briefly:
The best zingers inside include:
Note: I obtained this report through a FOIA request 😎.
Contents of the film by timestamp include:
These are loaded into the youtube video as chapters for your convenience.
All our video digitization announcements:
This cube is aboard the N.S. Savannah:
The caption reads:
This cube represents the approximate volume of 163 lbs. of Enriched Uranium which has enabled the N. S. SAVANNAH to travel 454,625 miles.
A fossil fueled ship would have consumed about 28,600,000 gallons (681,000 bbls.) of fuel to cover the same distance.
This fuel would occupy approx 3,823,529.4 cubic feet as compared to 0.04 cubic feet of this cube.
I think the person who made this may have goofed up the math slightly. In particular, the mass density is way off:
\[\frac{163 \text{ lbs}}{0.04 \text{ ft}^3} = 65.3 \frac{\text{g}}{\text{cm}^3}\]Nothing is that dense. Uranium metal is around 19 g/cm³ and UO₂ is around 10. The densest cube of uranium metal weighing 163 lbs should have a side dimension of 6.19 in. (15.7 cm) and a total volume of 0.137 ft³ (3.89 L). This cube appears to be 2 inches too short on a side and only 29% of the total correct volume. Would be nice to confirm the dimensions of the cube itself if anyone visits.
The oil gallons, bbls, and cubic feet conversions all do check out 👍.
On the energy equivalence side of things, 163 lbs of U-235 represents 5.87 petajoules of energy. A nuclear ship engine of the PWR type is around 27% thermally efficient (shaft horsepower per thermal Watt), so that uranium could do about 67,300 horsepower-years.
28.6 M gallons of heavy fuel oil (33.4 MJ/L) contains 3.62 petajoules of energy, and these engines typically have more like 44% thermal efficiency, so that much oil could do about 67,600 horsepower-years. We have reasonable equivalence!
Better photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rocbolt/8370237926/in/album-72157632493733676/