Re: Idaho Falls SL-1 accident, Jan 1961

[maury <maury@WEBTEXAS.COM>]

Accident SL-1

     A criticality accident which took place in 1961 in a small, transportable

military research reactor built at the  National Reactor Testing Station in

Idaho, USA. The reactor core, placed in a tank filled with water, was provided

with fuel elements containing highly enriched uranium.

     Three operators were working on the shut-down reactor coupling the control

rods to the control mechanisms on its top. While doing this the central control

rod was pulled too far out of the core, and a violent chain reaction started.

The lid of the reactor was suddenly pushed upwards. The water column above the

core acted like a hydraulic hammer. All three operators were killed.

     Radioactivity was released into the ruined reactor hall [hull?].

Insignificant amounts of radioactivity were released to the environment.

Source:  http://www.nucinfo.com/NUCPEDIA/UK/accident_sl1.htm



Maury Siskel      maury@webtexas.com

================================================

"North, David" wrote:



> Radsafers,

>

> Could anyone point me in the correct direction for information regarding the

> SL-1 reactor accident at Idaho Falls in January , 1961? I understand it



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