New Atomic Pile In Britain

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27366, 3 June 1954, Page 6

New Atomic Pile In Britain

LONDON. The fourth atomic pile to be built at Britain’s Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell, for which the first turf was cut recently by Sir John Cockcroft, Director of the establishment, will be the first pile in Britain using heavy water as a moderator.

This is part of the development which is likely to cut both capital and overall costs of Britain’s atomic reactor operations. While Harwell has had two atomic piles available during the last six years (known as Bepo and Gleep) which have been used for research in a very wide range of subjects, the establishment is now giving detailed consideration to the more advanced types of power pile. As these are likely to operate at a much higher intensity, this should lead eventually to a reduction of capital costs and lower overall costs of reactor operation, says the Department of Atomic Energy. Accordingly it has been decided to build at Harwell, in addition to the zero energy fast fission reactor (which has been operating for some months) a small research reactor operating at a very high intensity to permit the necessary experimental studies to be carried out.

The new pile will also make possible the production of certain radio active isotopes such as cobalt 60 which cannot be made with such specific activity in Bepo. Britain has a large international business in supplying radioactive isotopes. The use of heavy water as a moderator enables the required facilities to be obtained at a lower capital cost than with a graphite moderated system. The fuel which will be used will be highly enriched uranium.