SPERT Destructive Test-I On Aluminum, Highly Enriched Plate Type Core
Produced by Phillips Petroleum Co, Atomic Energy Division, Reactor Projects Branch for AEC.
Test was probably on 05Nov62.
04:00:50 Pan over SPERT (Special Power Excursion Reactor Tests) project buildings of National Reactor Testing Station on sagebrush desert of Idaho. Two men into sheetmetal clad building, closing doors.
04:01:22 Int. w/ five men, remove cover of “...swimming pool type reactor w/ plate type core...” Fuel plate lowered into core; handling by pole from above. Man at bench looking thru microscope like device. CU mounting thermocouples on fuel plate on bench. CU of boron line-neutron detecting devices, assembled. Other devices assembled to be placed around core.
04:03:16 MS thru water of reactor. Men at control or instrument panel readout panels w/ video views of core. Rods pushed down, water seen boiling up seen from above & from side. Second test showing distortion in fuel plates. Third test much more violent boiling resulting in substantial melting in core.
04:04:44 Animated drawing showing rods in position & fuel plate melting. Stills of uranium melting & cracking of cladding. Fused fuel plates shown.
04:05:25 Engineers at blackboard & table studying what occured. CU writing equation on blackboard.
04:05:55 Workers dismantle metal skin of building on front half to allow water & debris to eject from reactor tank & for film coverage. Plastic put over for protection before final test. Personnel leave area, gate raised & van leaves area seen from inside guard control booth. CU warning light turned on & gate lowered.
04:07:13 Reactor ooperator turning on control power on console. CU of rods being withdrawn; lights on panel showing changes. CU setting sequence timer. 10 sec. counter countdown.
04:08:07 LS across desert to building in slow motion, large eruption of water (shot at 48fps.) seen.
04:08:28 Telephoto from Spert 2 building at normal speed, shows flash & water explosion. View from 50 yards in front of reactor building at 64 fps showing force of water on upper bridge. Repeat at 1/10th speed.
04:09:18 View from rear of reactor bldg at 650fps, rod drops, flash & explosion of reactor vessel.
04:11:18 Operator shutting off console. Five men in protective suits entering vehicle & to building for quick view. Roof beam bent up, lights & other destroyed equipment seen.
04:12:53 View into reactor vessel, twisted & destroyed. Workers covering building w/ plastic sheeting & cleanup begun, workers removing pieces w/ long poles; man holding radiation gauge. CU of damaged metal in several scenes.
04:15:01 Men cutting open fuel assemblies underwater w/ portable grinding wheel.
04:16:01 Rod dropping from above, views of explosion from various view points.
04:16:37 Aerial over SPERT-1 bldg & ARCO test site. The End
Radiation; Radioactivity; Science; Physics; Mathematics; Testing; Dangers; Cold War; Power Source; Electricity; Accident Recreation; Nuclear Reaction; 1960s; 1962;
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SPERT Destructive Test-I On Aluminum, Highly Enriched Plate Type Core Produced by Phillips Petroleum Co, Atomic Energy Division, Reactor Projects Branch for AEC. Test was probably on 05Nov62. 04:00:50 Pan over SPERT (Special Power Excursion Reactor Tests) project buildings of National Reactor Testing Station on sagebrush desert of Idaho. Two men into sheetmetal clad building, closing doors. 04:01:22 Int. w/ five men, remove cover of “...swimming pool type reactor w/ plate type core...” Fuel plate lowered into core; handling by pole from above. Man at bench looking thru microscope like device. CU mounting thermocouples on fuel plate on bench. CU of boron line-neutron detecting devices, assembled. Other devices assembled to be placed around core. 04:03:16 MS thru water of reactor. Men at control or instrument panel readout panels w/ video views of core. Rods pushed down, water seen boiling up seen from above & from side. Second test showing distortion in fuel plates. Third test much more violent boiling resulting in substantial melting in core. 04:04:44 Animated drawing showing rods in position & fuel plate melting. Stills of uranium melting & cracking of cladding. Fused fuel plates shown. 04:05:25 Engineers at blackboard & table studying what occured. CU writing equation on blackboard. 04:05:55 Workers dismantle metal skin of building on front half to allow water & debris to eject from reactor tank & for film coverage. Plastic put over for protection before final test. Personnel leave area, gate raised & van leaves area seen from inside guard control booth. CU warning light turned on & gate lowered. 04:07:13 Reactor ooperator turning on control power on console. CU of rods being withdrawn; lights on panel showing changes. CU setting sequence timer. 10 sec. counter countdown. 04:08:07 LS across desert to building in slow motion, large eruption of water (shot at 48fps.) seen. 04:08:28 Telephoto from Spert 2 building at normal speed, shows flash & water explosion. View from 50 yards in front of reactor building at 64 fps showing force of water on upper bridge. Repeat at 1/10th speed. 04:09:18 View from rear of reactor bldg at 650fps, rod drops, flash & explosion of reactor vessel. 04:11:18 Operator shutting off console. Five men in protective suits entering vehicle & to building for quick view. Roof beam bent up, lights & other destroyed equipment seen. 04:12:53 View into reactor vessel, twisted & destroyed. Workers covering building w/ plastic sheeting & cleanup begun, workers removing pieces w/ long poles; man holding radiation gauge. CU of damaged metal in several scenes. 04:15:01 Men cutting open fuel assemblies underwater w/ portable grinding wheel. 04:16:01 Rod dropping from above, views of explosion from various view points. 04:16:37 Aerial over SPERT-1 bldg & ARCO test site. The End Radiation; Radioactivity; Science; Physics; Mathematics; Testing; Dangers; Cold War; Power Source; Electricity; Accident Recreation; Nuclear Reaction; 1960s; 1962;