HistoricAchievementRecognized

SHIPPINGPORT ATOMICPOWER STATIONA NationalHistoric MechanicalEngineering Landmark

On December 8, 1953 President Dwight D. Eisenhower wentbefore the United National General Assembly to propose an “AtomsFor Peace” plan. One of the cornerstones of the plans for thepeaceful uses of atomic energy was the building of a nuclear powerplant for the commercial generation of electricity to be used as partof a utility system. Thus the congressional Joint Committee onAtomic Energy and the Atomic Energy Commission developed plansfor an atomic power station.

A large-scale light water reactor for a proposed aircraft carrierwas then being designed at Westinghouse Electric Corporation’sBettis Atomic Power Laboratory under the technical direction and incooperation with the Division of Naval Reactors of the AtomicEnergy Commission. However, the Federal Government hadcancelled the plans for the aircraft carrier. It was decided this designeffort could be redirected into a civilian reactor for electric powerproduction. The AEC notified the electric utility industry that theywere accepting bids from utilities with the proposal that the utilityparticipate in building and operating a full-scale atomic powerstation as part of its generating system.

The AEC gave responsibility for supervision of the building andoperation of the reactor plant portion of the electric generatingstation to its experts on light water reactors: The Division of NavalReactors. With a bid that included supplying the land, the turbinegenerator and $5 million toward the research and development ofthe light water reactor, Duquesne Light Company was chosen as theutility for the project. The land was located in the small village ofShippingport, Pennsylvania on the Ohio River about 25 miles fromPittsburgh.

The principal responsibility for carrying the Shippingportproject to a successful conclusion was given to then Rear Admiral H.G. Rickover, Director of the AEC Division of Naval Reactors.

SHIPPINGPORT ATOMICPOWER STATIONNational Historic MechanicalEngineering LandmarkPresentation CeremonyMay 20, 1980PROGRAM

Welcoming Remarks JOHN T. POPEVice President, Region VAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers

Introduction of Guests THOMAS R. CURRANChairman, Pittsburgh SectionAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASME Landmark Program PROFESSOR J. J. ErmencChairman, National History and Heritage CommitteeAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers

History of Shippingport STANLEY G. SCHAFFERAtomic Power Station President, Duquesne Light Company

Presentation of Plaque DONALD N. ZWIEPPresident, American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Acceptance STANLEY G. SCHAFFERPresident, Duquesne Light Company

Closing Remarks THOMAS R. CURRANChairman, Pittsburgh SectionAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers

Luncheon Remarks J. J. TAYLORVice President and General Manager, Water ReactorsDivisions, Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Informal viewing of exhibits in the Shippingport Visitors’ Centerand a luncheon at the Willows Motel Restaurant, Industry,Pennsylvania, follow the presentation ceremonies.

ATOMS FOR PEACE - President Dwight D.Eisenhower, participated via electronic communi-cations in both the groundbreaking and dedication ofthe Shippingport Atomic Power Station. For thegroundbreaking, he passed a neutron wand over neutron counter which flashed an electronic signalfrom Denver, Colorado to Shippingport, activating large highlift which turned the first scoop of ground.

The Shippingport AtomicPower Station project receivedworld wide attention from thevery beginning. The groundbreaking ceremony on September6, 1954 (Labor Day) was attendedby about 1,400 people, includingdignitaries representing nationsfrom around the world. PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower, the fathero f t h e “ A t o m s F o r P e a c e ”program, participated in theceremony via an electric hookupfrom a summer White House inDenver, Colorado.

In his address, PresidentEisenhower said: “. . . For today atShippingport, Pennsylvania, webegin building our first atomicpower plant of commercial size—a plant expected to produceelectricity for 100,000 people. Inthus advancing toward theeconomic production of elec-tricity by atomic power, mankindcomes closer to fulfillment of theancient dream of a new and betterearth.

“ . . . through knowledge weare sure to gain from this newplant we begin today, I am con-fident that the atom will not bedevoted exclusively to the destruc-tion of man, but will be his mightyservant and tireless benefactor.

“It is then with profoundhope and confidence—and withprayer for future ages of mankind— that I now, by this act beginconstruction of America’s firstcommercial-size atomic powerplant.”

The President’s address was broadcast to the construction sitevia television and shown to the guests on 20 strategically locatedtelevision sets. As he finished, President Eisenhower passed neutron wand over a neutron counter which flashed an electronicsignal 1,200 miles to Shippingport, activating a large highlift whichmoved forward and scooped the first dirt in the ground breakingceremony. Sensing the historic significance of the moment, thecrowd rose to its feet and applauded.

Speaking for Duquesne Light Company at the ceremony, PhilipA. Fleger, Chairman of the Board, said, when describing theShippingport project, “Here private industry invests its capital, itsexperience, and its productive skill in cooperation with thegovernment to bring the benefit of a great, new natural resource tothe American people.

INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENTCOOPERATION was evident through-out the project. Participants inmeetings might have included, fromleft, Walter J. Lyman, Duquesne’s VicePresident, Operations, Admiral H.G.Rickover, Director of the AEC Divisionof Naval Reactors, standing, andCarroll T. Sinclair, Duquesne’s VicePresident, Engineering andConstruction.

“Here the Atomic Energy Commission, the WestinghouseElectric Corporation, and the Duquesne Light Company embarkupon an adventure which should do much to advance the use ofatomic energy—through electricity—and thereby promote thewell-being of all the people.

“The Duquesne Light Company accepts its share of theresponsibility for this epochal undertaking with the greatest humilitybut with equally great determination.”

Millions of people across thenation were able to see and listento the proceedings of the ground-breaking via radio and televisionas Chairman Lewis L. Strauss of theU.S. Atomic Energy Commissionaddressed the crowd. “Only alittle more than a year ago,” Mr.Strauss said, “it was believed thatp r o d u c t i o n o f c o m m e r c i a lamounts of electric energy fromnuclear power would have to bedemonstrated by the government. . . and by the government alone. . . before private industry wouldor could afford to take part in it.

“But so rapid have been thestrides in scientific and engineer-ing achievement that here, todaythe government . . . this is to say,the people . . . begin such anenterprise which is more funda-mentally a pioneer adventurethan the first railroad to penetratethe West or the first airline to spanthe continent.”

In an effort to put the days proceedings in perspective, theHonorable W. Sterling Cole, Chairman, Joint CongressionalCommittee on Atomic Energy said, “Now we are at the end of thebeginning. Now we translate our hope and dreams of using the atomfor the pursuits of peace into the concrete and steel of a plantproducing large amounts of electricity. Along the shores of this rivera new marvel of science and engineering shall soon testify that theatom has been bent to the way of peace.”

Westinghouse Electric Corporation President, Gwilym A. Price,termed the building of the atomic power plant as “Mankind’sprogress towards a bright horizon.”

Mr. Price said, “I am, I believe, excusably proud that only fortymiles from here the Westinghouse Atomic Power Division is buildingthe reactor—or atomic furnace—which will energize America’sfirst full-scale atomic power plant. And if we finish well what webegin here today, the atom will bring into existence the truly‘Golden Age of Electricity’.

“The success of this plant eventually will mean great benefits forpeople everywhere. It forecasts readily available electric power inalmost any corner of the earth and the great productivity whichalone can bring material well-being to the ‘have not’ peoples of theworld. It may indeed be the first dawning of the new age of plentywhich the world has long awaited.”

GROUNDBREAKlNG CEREMONlES featured a largehighl i f t which when electronical ly act ivated byPresident Eisenhower over 1,200 miles away, turned thefirst scoop of ground for the Shippingport project.When this occurred, the crowd at the ceremonies,sensing the historic significance of the moment, rose toits feet and applauded. Pictures of this occasion werefeatured worldwide by newspapers, television andmovies.

After the ground breaking,the serious business of construc-ting the new plant began inearnest. Throughout constructionthe Shippingport Atomic PowerStation would continue to receiveinternational attention as a majoradvancement in technology.During construction, AdmiralRickover would frequently visitthe construction site to checkprogress. He would confer withthe project managers: Joseph C.Rengel of Westinghouse, JohnGray of Duquesne Light, JohnSimpson, head of the Westing-house Bettis Atomic Power Labora-tory, and Melvin Oldham whowould be the Duquesne Lightsupe r i n tenden t o f t he newgenerating station.

The new technology anddiplomacy mixed together whenon May 7, 1956, Admiral Rickoverand AEC Chairman, Lewis L.Strauss, conducted a tour of theconstruction site for the head of

Atomic Energy of Great Britain. Visiting the shippingport site as partof a tour of U.S. atomic facilities were Sir Edwin Plowden, Chairmanof the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, and John A. V.Willis, Scientific Attache to the British Embassy.

The Shippingport Atomic Power Station would be somewhatdifferent from the nuclear power stations that were to follow. Fromthe outset, the Shippingport project was directed towards advancingthe basic technology of light water cooled reactors, through design,development, building and testing and operation of a large powerreactor as part of a public utility system. Because of this primarymission, the design of the station is markedly influenced by its dualrole of test facility and power producer. The test facility conceptresults in a duplication and isolation of equipment and in a largeamount of instrumentation compared to that required solely foroperation as a power producer.

The Shippingport station was constructed for the purpose ofadvancing nuclear power technology generally. Accordingly, theentire plant was built along very flexible lines. The reactor portioncould accommodate cores of different types, and greater power.Multiple components were made by a number of manufacturersusing different designs and materials of various kinds were utilized.

Because the technology was new and little understood by thepublic, some people feared atomic energy. The three principleorganizations involved in the Shippingport project, Naval Reactors,Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Duquesne Light Company,patiently explained in both appearances before groups and throughthe news media, that all safety precautions possible were taken inorder to minimize the possibility of the escape of any radiation from

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY AND DIPLOMACY mixedtogether during a tour of the Shippingport constructionsite by representatives of Great Britain. Participating inthe tour were from left, Charles H. Weaver, VicePresident, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Sir EdwinPlowden, Chairman of the United Kingdom AtomicEnergy Authority, Lewis L. Strauss, Chairman of theAEC, Philip A. Fleger, Chairman of the Board,Duquesne Light Company, Admiral H. C. Rickover,Chief of the Naval Reactors branch of the AEC, and H.Briggs, Jr., Duquesne’s Manager of Advertising andPublic Relations.

the plant. They pointed out thatthe difference between Shipping-port and a conventional coal, oilor gas-fired power station was theheat source. The heat was pro-vided by nuclear fission, while inconventional power plants thechemical reaction of the coal, gasor oil with oxygen to produce afire, provided the heat.

The station, when completed,consisted of a pressurized waterreactor and associated systems;four steam generators heated bythe reactor; a single turbinegenerator and associated systems;a radioactive waste disposalsystem; laboratories; shops; andadministrative facilities.

The reactor and other systemscarrying high pressure waters u b j e c t t o r a d i o a c t i v econtamination were housed inf o u r i n t e r - c o n n e c t e dcontainment vessels in order top r e v e n t t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o fradioactivity escaping into the

environment. These inter-connected containment structures ofreinforced concrete and steel were buried beneath the ground. Theturbine generator was located outdoors on the turbine deck belowwhich were located the bulk of the steam and electrical systems.

The Shippingport pressurized water reactor plant consisted oftwo main parts: a primary system containing the nuclear reactorwhich produced heat and the water which circulates through thereactor to cool it; and a secondary system, containing other watercompletely isolated from the reactor, which transferred the heat foruse in a steam turbine.

At Shippingport, as with all nuclear plants, the nuclear reactoritself is the key element in the primary system. The heart of thenuclear reactor is the core which is housed in the reactor pressurevessel, a large steel container 33 feet high and about 9 feet in diameter.

The first core was an assembly of plates and rods arranged in thegeneral shape of a cylinder, 6 feet high and 7 feet in diameter. Theplates in the first core were enriched uranium clad with an alloy ofzirconium as protection from the hot water; the rods were hollowzirconium alloy tubes filled with natural uranium oxide pellets. Thecore was a seed and blanket type with the enriched uranium platesconstituting the seed and natural-uranium rods the blanket. Thereactor contained enough fissionable fuel to form a critical mass:one capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction. The chainreaction could be started, stopped and controlled by 32 neutronabsorbing control rods made of the element hafnium. Wheninserted into the reactor, the control rods slowed the chain reactionand lowered the power level: when withdrawn, they allowed thechain reaction to increase, thus increasing the power level.

The Shippingport reactor is apressurized light water reactor. Inthis type of reactor water ispumped through the primarysystem to flow around the nuclearfuel elements in the reactor. As itflows around the reactor core, thewater absorbs heat from thefissioning nuclear fuel. The wholeprimary system is kept under highpressure at about 2,000 poundsper square inch, to prevent theprimary water from boiling, thusthe name pressurized waterreactor. When the water is heated,

it flows to the heat exchanging steam generators where it gives upthe heat to water in the secondary system.

The secondary system is a relatively low pressure system so thatwhen it absorbs heat in the steam generator, the water in thesecondary system is turned to steam. This steam, when sent to theturbine generator, provides the necessary energy to drive the turbine.

The Shippingport reactor has four steam generators where theheat exchange takes place. By using the method of exchanging heatwhere the primary water is completely isolated, the secondary waterdoes not become contaminated with radioactivity, thus reducing thechance of any escape of radioactivity. The primary system alsoincludes a number of auxilliary systems, such as the pressurizingsystem, valve operating systems and coolant purification systems.

THE FIRST CORE, six feet highand seven feet in diameter,weighing 58 tons and containing14 tons of natural uranium and165 pounds of high-enricheduranium, was installed inOctober, 1957. It took more thaneight hours to lower the core, theheart of the reactor system, intoposition with only six-hundredthsof an inch clearance between itand the walls of the steel con-tainer known as the pressurevessel.

One of the most importantfeatures of the Shippingportreactor was that it had a negativetemperature coefficient of reac-tivity. This means the reactorinherently tended to maintain thepower level at which it was set. If,for example, the temperature ofthe water entering the reactordropped for any reason, thereactor automatically producedmore heat, and thus a higheroutlet water temperature. If theinlet water increased in tempera-ture, the heat output of the reactorautomatically dropped. Thus, thereactor itself automatically main-tained the correct power levelwith no controls being involved.This inherent automatic controlfeature was true for normal powerchanges in electric systems so thatcon t ro l - r od movemen t wasnecessary only for large changesin power output of the plant.

THE AGE OF NUCLEAR POWER came to thePittsburgh area on Wednesday, December 18, 1957 at12:39 a.m. Duquesne Light engineers synchronized theturbine-generator at Shippingport with the DuquesneLight system as the first commercial electricityproduced by nuclear energy was sent out to customersin the Pittsburgh area. By 7:00 a.m. that morning, theturbine-generator fed by steam produced from theheat of the nuclear reaction was generating more than12,000 kilowatts of electricity.

After more than our years of planning, construction, testingand plenty of plain hard work, the Shippingport reactor was readyfor fuel loading. In October, 1957 the reactor core weighing 58 tonsand containing 14 tons of natural uranium and 165 pounds ofhighly-enriched uranium was installed. It took more than 8 hours tolower the core, the heart of the reactor system, into position withonly six-hundreds of an inch clearance between it and the walls ofthe steel container, known as the pressure vessel. A little more than45 days later the plant was ready for operation. At 4:30 a.m. onDecember 2, 1957, the control rods were raised just to the point ofcriticality, where the atomic reaction would maintain itself. Thishistoric milestone for Shippingport also coincided with the 15thAnniversary of the World’s first nuclear fission reactor which wasbuilt under the football stadium at The University of Chicago by agroup of scientists headed by Enrico Fermi.

Testing continued as the reactor was operated below half of itsdesign potential during the next two weeks. Slowly the reactor wasbrought to the point where the pressurized water was steadilyproducing steam as it circulated through the heat exchange tubes inthe steam generator. On Wednesday, December 18, 1957 at 12:30 a.m.the first power was produced at Shippingport Atomic Power Stationas engineers synchronized the plant with the Duquesne LightCompany system. Thus the first electricity to be generated atShippingport was fed into the grid that carried electricity throughoutthe Pittsburgh area.

By 7:00 a.m. that morning theShippingport plant was producingmore than 12,000 kilowatts ofelectricity. As with many signifi-cant historic occasions, the eventwas accomplished before mostpeople knew what was happening.The people of Pittsburgh did notknow they were receiving electricenergy generated by the atom asthey made their toast, brewedtheir coffee and read their news-papers. Later the news mediawould inform the public of theimportant event.

W i t h i n a f e w d a y s , o nDecember 23, 1957, full power of68,000 kilowatts was attained byt h e S h i p p i n g p o r t r e a c t o r .Although full power was reached,testing continued to determinethe operating characteristics anddependability of the station. On

the basis of this early “shakedown” operation, it was found that thereactor and station as a whole equalled or bettered the expectationsof its designers and operators and they noted that it operated with anease and responsiveness surpassing conventional coal-fired stations.

THE AGE OF NUCLEAR POWER came to thePittsburgh area on Wednesday, December 18, 1957 at12:39 a.m. Duquesne Light engineers synchronized theturbine-generator at Shippingport with the DuquesneLight system as the first commercial electricityproduced by nuclear energy was sent out to customersin the Pittsburgh area. By 7:00 a.m. that morning, theturbine-generator fed by steam produced from theheat of the nuclear reaction was generating more than12,000 kilowatts of electricity.

After more than four years of planning, construction, testingand plenty of plain hard work, the Shippingport reactor was readyfor fuel loading. In October, 1957 the reactor core weighing 58 tonsand containing 14 tons of natural uranium and 165 pounds ofhighly-enriched uranium was installed. It took more than 8 hours tolower the core, the heart of the reactor system, into position withonly six-hundreds of an inch clearance between it and the walls ofthe steel container, known as the pressure vessel. A little more than45 days later the plant was ready for operation. At 4:30 a.m. onDecember 2, 1957, the control rods were raised just to the point ofcriticality, where the atomic reaction would maintain itself. Thishistoric milestone for Shippingport also coincided with the 15thAnniversary of the World’s first nuclear fission reactor which wasbuilt under the football stadium at The University of Chicago by agroup of scientists headed by Enrico Fermi.

Testing continued as the reactor was operated below half of itsdesign potential during the next two weeks. Slowly the reactor wasbrought to the point where the pressurized water was steadilyproducing steam as it circulated through the heat exchange tubes inthe steam generator. On Wednesday, December 18, 1957 at 12:30 a.m.the first power was produced at Shippingport Atomic Power Stationas engineers synchronized the plant with the Duquesne LightCompany system. Thus the first electricity to be generated atShippingport was fed into the grid that carried electricity throughoutthe Pittsburgh area.

By 7:00 a.m. that morning theShippingport plant was producingmore than 12,000 kilowatts ofelectricity. As with many signifi-cant historic occasions, the eventwas accomplished before mostpeople knew what was happening.The people of Pittsburgh did notknow they were receiving electricenergy generated by the atom asthey made their toast, brewedtheir coffee and read their news-papers. Later the news mediawould inform the public of theimportant event.

W i t h i n a f e w d a y s , o nDecember 23, 1957, full power of68,000 kilowatts was attained byt h e S h i p p i n g p o r t r e a c t o r .Although full power was reached,testing continued to determinethe operating characteristics anddependability of the station. On

the basis of this early “shakedown” operation, it was found that thereactor and station as a whole equalled or bettered the expectationsof its designers and operators and they noted that it operated with anease and responsiveness surpassing conventional coal-fired stations.

Speaking for Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Mark W.Cresap, Jr., the Company president said, “The significance ofShippingport is two fold. It is a revolutionary type of station forfull-scale electric power generation. It is also a full-scale training andtesting facility of historic meaning to the world.

“From what is learned here, as this partnership between theAtomic Energy Commission and the Duquesne Light Companyprogresses, will represent a priceless contribution to the harnessingof nuclear power for the benefit of humanity. For Westinghouse,participation in designing and developing the nuclear reactor hasbeen a most challenging and inspiring experience.”

Representing the Congressional Joint Committee on AtomicEnergy, the Honorable James E. VanZandt, said “. . . we aredeveloping the atom for peaceful purposes and we are doing it bymeans of ‘partnership’ between government and industry. All of uscan be justifiably proud of this, the first all-commercial reactor. Let usconsider it as a monument to American genius and to our system offree enterprise which is the envy of the world.”

Lewis L. Strauss, Chairman ofthe Atomic Energy Commissionrecalled for the audience theground breaking ceremony andsaid, “In the three years and ninemonths which have elapsed, aperiod comparing favorably withthe time required to build a con- ventional power plant, the co-operative efforts of governmentand private industry have broughtthis plant into being. It is the firstlarge-scale power plant yet builtto convert the energy within theatom exclusively to the peacefulservice of man’s need for electricpower to ease his burden andprovide additional comfort for hisliving. While the creation of thisgreat nuclear power station is ofhistoric significance, we arereminded that this is only onefacet of a broad program whichthe world has come to call Atomsfor Peace.”

Speaking for Duquesne Light,Philip A. Fleger, Chairman of theBoard said, “It is altogether fittingthat this station should be locatedclose to the birthplace of thepetroleum industry and almost ontop of one of the world’s greatestcoal fields. For the history of

SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION was usedin order to industry and man’s progress isminimize the possibility of radioactivity escaping into closely bound up with the history of fuel. Where fuels have beenthe environment from the reactor and other systems plentiful and man has developed techniques to harness their energy,carrying high pressure water subject to radioactive industry has flourished and people have prospered.contamination. The reactor and other systems werehoused in four interconnected containment vessels,one under construction above, whlch were built ofreinforced concrete and steel and were buried beneaththe ground.

the lessons yet to be learned in operating it, Will be appliedthroughout the free world,” he continued. “Atomic power stations

“In a larger sense progress is the real significance ofShippingport. . . . This is true progress. It comes from the work of free

country.”

printed in scientific and technical journals about the facility. Andmany papers about its operation and testing programs have beendelivered at scientific meetings throughout the world. It has alsoserved as a training ground for many key personnel in nucleargenerating plants throughout the world.

Shippingport also established itself as a source of electricity tohelp power the Pittsburgh area. During the life of Shippingport’s firstcore, from 1957 to 1964, the atomic power station produced almost 2

“The lessons already learned in building this pioneer station,

now under construction as well as others still to be designed, will bemore efficient and more economical because of it.

men, with free hands and free minds, in a free society.”The historical significance of Shippingport was well established

at its very beginning. Shippingport Atomic Power Station would bemore than merely the first full-scale commercial atomic powerstation. Duquesne’s Chairman of the Board, Philip A. Fleger, said itperhaps best when he said in Los Angeles in 1955: “Shippingport willbe a university so to speak for the electric power industry of this

Shippingport, as it operated through the years, establisheditself as a source of valuable information on reactor technology forthe entire nuclear power industry. Hundreds of articles have been

billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. In 1964 the plant was removedfrom service for an extended period of time to permit installation ofthe second core.

The new core increased the

HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT RECOGNIZED — TheShippingport Atomic Power Station was honored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as aNational Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark on May 20, 1980. This plaque was presented toShippingport in recognition of its historicalsignificance to the development of the engineeringprofession and of the nation.

plant’s electrical generatingcapacity from 60,000 to 100,000kilowatts and was capable ofproducing an additional 50,000kilowatts (equivalent) of heat. Ithad more than 5 times the designenergy output and over twice thepower of the original core. Core#2 was instrumented so that infor-mation concerning power distri-bution in the reactor was availablefor further improvements andrefinements in future nuclearpower stations. It is important toknow how core performancevaries over the life of the core sothat more powerful longlastingcores can be built at lower costs.

From February 3, 1965, whenthe second core went intooperation, until February 4, 1974,Shippingport Atomic PowerStation had generated almost 3½billion kilowatt hours of electricity.

The plant went out of service on February 4, 1974, because of amechanical failure in the turbine-generator. Meanwhile, as part of

the Federal Government’s efforts to expand the nation’s sources ofenergy through the development of technology for new andimproved ways to produce energy, a Light Water Breeder Reactor(LWBR) Core was being developed and fabricated as the thirdreactor core for refueling of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station.A decision was made to begin installation of the LWBR while repairsmoved forward on the turbine-generator. A breeder reactor is onethat creates more fissionable nuclear fuel than it consumes.

In January 1975, the AEC was reorganized into two differentagencies, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the EnergyResearch and Development Administration (ERDA) which includedthe Division of Naval Reactors. In 1977, the U.S. Department ofEnergy (DOE) was created and ERDA was assimilated into the DOE.

Again Shippingport AtomicPower Station was the scene ofanother of the nation’s first innuclear technology. The LWBRwas brought to initial criticality onAugust 26, 1977. After undergoingcheckout and initial testing,President Jimmy Carter from theOval Office in the White House,on December 2, 1977 ordered theLWBR to 100% power. The reactorwas then released for routinecommercia l e lectr ic powergeneration.

was modified by the Department

installed by the WestinghouseBettis Atomic Power Laboratoryunder the technical direction ofthe Department of Energy’sDivision of Naval Reactors.

The Shippingport Reactor

of Energy to accept the light waterbreeder core in order to demon-strate that breeding of nuclearfuel can be achieved in a lightwater reactor system using athorium-uranium-233 fuel systemin a seed blanket core configu-ration. The LWBR at Shippingportwas developed, designed and

ANOTHER HISTORICAL FIRST - After the light waterbreeder reactor installed in Shippingport had under-gone checkout and initial testing, President jimmyCarter from the Oval Office in the White House, onDecember 2, 1977, ordered the LWBR to 100% powerthrough the use of closed circuit television.

The Light Water Breeder Reactor uses a nuclear fuel material,thorium, that is in plentiful supply and for which, to date, there hasbeen no other major energy-related use. The thorium is used in atype of nuclear reactor core that can be operated in pressurized lightwater nuclear power plants. Most of the power reactors currently inoperation or being planned in this country are of the light watertype. The operation of the LWBR Core in the Shippingport AtomicPower Station is expected to confirm that breeding can be achievedin a pressurized light water reactor using the thorium/uranium-233fuel system in a seed-blanket core configuration. This reactor isdesigned to breed more new uranium-233 from thorium than itconsumes while producing electrical energy. This means that onceon the breeding cycle, an LWBR replacement core could beproduced without requiring further mining or enrichment of ourreserves of uranium ore.

Today, Shippingport Atomic Power Station using the LWBR, isstill producing electricity for the Pittsburgh area. It has producedover one billion kilowatt hours of electrical energy with the Iightwater breeder core. In another 2 to 3 years, the plant will beshutdown and the core will be removed. It will be analyzed, to verifythat more uranium-233 has been produced in the core than hasbeen used to produce energy. The plant will then bedecommissioned.

Throughout its more than a quarter of a Century of history,Shippingport Atomic Power Station has been in the forefront of thedevelopment of nuclear technology. Today it stands as an operatingand living monument to man’s search for a better world through theuse of his mind, his sciences, and his engineering to produce thatwhich would benefit himself and his fellow man.

National HistoricMechanical EngineeringLandmark Program

In September 1971, the ASME Council reactivated the Society’sHistory and Heritage program with the formation of a NationalHistory and Heritage Committee. The overall objective of theCommittee is to promote a general awareness of our technicalheritage among both engineers and the general public. A charge given the Committee is to gather data on all works and artifactswith a mechanical engineering connection which are historicallysignificant to the profession — an ambitious goal, and one achievedlargely through the volunteer efforts of the Section and DivisionHistory and Heritage Committees and interested ASME members.

Accordingly, two major programs are carried out by theSections and Divisions under the direction of the NationalCommittee: 1) a listing of industrial operations and relatedmechanical engineering artifacts in local Historic EngineeringRecords; and 2) a National Historic Mechanical EngineeringLandmark program. The former is a record of detailed studies ofsites in each local area; the latter is a demarcation of local siteswhich are of national significance, people, or events which havecontributed to the general development of civilization.

In addition, the Society cooperates with the SmithsonianInstitution in a joint project which provides contributions ofhistorical material to the National Museum of History andTechnology in Washington, D.C. The Institution’s permanentexhibition of mechanical engineering memorabilia is under thedirection of a curator, who also serves as an ex officio member ofthe ASME National History and Heritage Committee.

The Shippingport Atomic Power Station is the forty-fifthlandmark to be designated since the program began in 1973.

Other HistoricLandmarksFerries and Cliff House Cable Railway Power House,San Francisco, CaliforniaLeavitt Pumping Engine, Chestnut Hill Pumping Station,Brookline, MassachusettsA. B. Wood Low-Head High-Volume Screw Pump,New Orleans, LouisianaPortsmouth-Kittery Naval Shipbuilding Activity,Portsmouth, New Hampshire102-lnch Boyden Hydraulic Turbines, Cohoes, New York5000 KW Vertical Curtis Steam Turbine-Generator,Schenectady, New York

Saugus Iron Works, Saugus, MassachusettsPioneer Oil Refinery, Newhall, CaliforniaChesapeake & Delaware Canal, Scoop Wheel and Engines,Chesapeake City, MarylandU.S.S. Texas, Reciprocating Steam Engines, Houston, TexasChilds-Irving Hydro Plant, Irving, ArizonaHanford B Nuclear Reactor, Hanford, WashingtonFirst Air Conditioning, Magma Copper Mine,Superior, ArizonaManitou and Pike’s Peak Cog Railway,Colorado Springs, ColoradoEdgar Steam Electric Station, Weymouth, MassachusettsMt. Washington Cog Railway, Mt. Washington,New HampshireFolsom Power House #1, Folsom, CaliforniaCrawler Transporters of Launch Complex 39,J.F.K. Space Center, Florida.Fairmont Water Works, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaU.S.S. Olympia, Vertical Reciprocating Steam Engines,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania5-Ton “Pit-Cast” Jib Crane, Birmingham, AlabamaState Line Generating Unit #1, Hammond, IndianaPratt Institute Power Generating Plant, Brooklyn, New YorkMonongahela Incline, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaDuquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaGreat Falls Raceway and Power System, Paterson, New JerseyVulcan Street Power Plant, Appleton, WisconsinWilkinson Mill, Pawtucket, Rhode IslandNew York City Subway System, New York, New YorkBaltimore & Ohio Railroad, Baltimore, MarylandRingwood Manor Iron Complex, Ringwood, New JerseyJoshua Hendy Iron Works, Sunnyvale, CaliforniaHacienda La Esperanza Sugar Mill Steam Engine,Manati, Puerto RicoRL-10 Liquid-Hydrogen Rocket Engine,West Palm Beach, FloridaA.O. Smith Automated Chassis Frame Factory,Milwaukee, WisconsinReaction-Type Hydraulic Turbine, Morris Canal,Stewartsville, New JerseyExperimental Breeder Reactor 1 (EBR-1), Idaho Falls, IdahoDrake Oil Well, Titusville, PennsylvaniaThe Springfield Armory, Springfield, MassachusettsEast Well’s Power Plant (Oneida Street),Milwaukee, WisconsinWatkins Woolen Mill, Lawson, MissouriFusion-Welded Drum, Chattanooga, TennesseeGeorgetown Steam Plant, Seattle, WashingtonEquitable Building, Portland, Oregon

AcknowledgmentsThe Pittsburgh Section of The American Society of Mechanical

Engineers acknowledges the efforts of the Committee thatorganized the landmark dedication ceremony. Representing thePittsburgh Section ASME were Eugene W. Starr, (Chairman), S.S.Kapadia, Dewitt Lampman, James R. Shavers, Thomas J. Walcott,Thomas E. Cornelius and Robert G. Orendi. RepresentingDuquesne Light were Roger Martin, Nelson Tonet and William G.Ott. Representing Westinghouse Electric Corporation were EugeneCurella and W.W. Culbertson. The Pittsburgh Section alsorecognizes the efforts and cooperation of the officials of DuquesneLight Company, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, PPG Industriesand the Division of Naval Reactors of the Department of Energy whohelped make the landmark dedication possible.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERSDonald N. Zwiep, PresidentJohn T. Pope, Vice President, Region VWilliam M. Becker, Chairman, Region V, History & HeritageKarl H. Moltrecht, Vice Chairman, Region V, History & HeritageThomas R. Curran, Chairman, Pittsburgh SectionEugene W. Starr, Chairman, History & Heritage, Pittsburgh SectionDr. Rogers B. Finch, Executive Director and Secretary

THE ASME NATIONAL HISTORY & HERITAGECOMMITTEEProfessor J. J. Ermenc, ChairmanDr. R. Carson Dalzell, SecretaryProfessor R. S. HartenbergDr. J. Paul HartmanRobert M. Vogel, Smithsonian InstitutionCarron Garvin-Donohue, ASME Staff Director of OperationsJill Birghenthal, Administrator

The ASME Pittsburgh SectionThomas R. Curran, ChairmanCampbell C. Yates, Vice ChairmanSailesh S. Kapadia, SecretaryCharles R. Frownfelter, Treasurer

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