Where have the neutrons gone: A history of the tower shielding facility

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:6670335

Muckenthaler, F J ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

In 1946, the U.S. Air Force selected the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation as the responsible organization for directing the Nuclear Energy for Propulsion of Aircraft (NEPA) project. At about this time, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was putting into operation a facility that used a beam hole through the graphite reactor shield as a source of neutrons into which shield samples could be inserted. Since the laboratory had this facility, it was asked to cooperate in NEPA's needs. As time passed, more and more NEPA personnel became involved in NEPA work occurring at the laboratory, and in September 1949, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) designated ORNL as the agency for continuing the AEC's share of a joint technical program that was established in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The purpose of the program was to develop a nuclear-powered aircraft. The laboratory was asked to study the neutronics aspect of the project, which included the relatively new discipline of reactor shielding. Since the weight and distribution of the shields would substantially affect the shape and size of the plane, it was imperative that the shield design be accurate and timely. It was concluded that the surest, fastest, and most economical way to verify calculations was through the use of full-scale mock-ups. This decision led to the building of what has been known as the Tower Shielding Facility.

• OSTI ID: 6670335
• Report Number(s): CONF-921102--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 66
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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