Nuclear Reactor Damaged; Delay At Ram

Press, Volume C, Issue 29527, 31 May 1961, Page 14

Nuclear Reactor Damaged; Delay At Ram

The sub-critical nuclear reactor, given to New Zealand by the United States under its “atoms-for-peace” programme, will not now be in operation at the University of Canterbury until next year. The delay of 12 months has resulted from extensive damage through the entry of water to many of the 40 cases in transit from the makers.

This -eactor cannot generate dangerous levels of radio activity (hence the descriptor “sub-critical”) but it will be used for a very wide range of experimental and training processes by both staff and students in the new eng'neering school. The reactor itself is housed in a large stainless-steel “tank.” In this will be inserted almost two tons of natural uranium contained in 271 long vertical tubes or "rods.” Reaction will start when the single neutron source is inserted in the middle. Associated with the reactor in the gift is a big range of measuring and testing equipment. Asked about the lack of news since the equipment arrived late in December, Professor N. M. MacElwee said he thought the public were entitled to an explanation now because visitors might expect it to be displayed curing the exhibition at the engineering school at the end of this week. In fact the nuclear engineering laboratory would be closed to the public, although they might glimpse some of the reactor components through the locked glass doors. “By agreement with the United States, the reactor and its associated equipment were ordered by the New Zealand Government and transport and insurance were to be arranged by the atomic energy committee of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.” said Professor MacElwee. “On delivery at Lyttelton, the D.S.I.R. did not have any

store for the 40 cases, so they went to the old school of engineering on the central site. We planned to. examine the equipment superficially but leave it in the case' for its immediate transfer with our department to Ham.

“Some of the cases were obviously soaking wet and on openin’ others we found water or moisture m more than half of the equipment," said Professor MacElwee “There were two categories of damage: (1) dampness or outright wetness in complex electronic equipment, radiation counters, scalers and portable monitoring instruments used for safety; (2> physical damage to cabinet material. “It is a characteristic of electronic equipment that, once it is seriously affected by moisture, it is almost a write-off,” said Professor MacFlwee. “But with considerable experience in drying out such gear after the fire in the east block of the university adjoining the old engineering school, we decided to try in this case. All the gear was carefully transported to Ham and spread over a big lecture room, vacant during the summer vacation. By sunshine, forced draught, and other means we succeeded in completely resuscitating all but one electronic unit. It was a big job because most instruments had to be dismantled to let the air in. There were also many faults, resulting from moisture, which had to be repaired. One or two instruments were broken and some were seriously rusted These will be replaced.”

Most of the aluminium cabinet components and similar material had an anodised finish and nearly all suffered either from permanent staining or corrosion pitting These would have to be replaced or retreated before assembly could proceed The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, by the agreement, had the responsibility of checking all this damage, arranging repair or replacement, and making insurance claims, said Professor MacElwee. Nobody had yet traced the place of the damage. All he knew was that pa- king in most of the cases was a sodden mess and most of the gear had been unusable. In the meantime the university has had to wait for settlement of all these complications and delay by 12 months the course in nuclear engineering it had intended to start this year.